The Cab not worried about boundaries

He wrote most of the songs for his band's first record during chemistry class.

Now, Alex DeLeon is a wizened 20-year-old, penning tunes with Britney Spears collaborators.

"When we made 'Winter War,' we were kids," says the frontman for Vegas pop rockers The Cab, reflecting on his band's debut. "We were very green. We got signed out of high school. We were still figuring out who we were.

"Now," he continues, "we've really become a band."

And they did it on the road, touring for more than two years, playing arenas with fellow Vegas rockers Panic at the Disco, who similarly scored a record deal before some of them had even graduated from the 12th grade.

"We went from playing coffee shops one month to playing the Staples Center the next," DeLeon notes. "It was surreal."

Currently, DeLeon and his bandmates are in the studio, tracking their sophomore disc, which is tentatively set for a late spring/early summer release. As hinted at by their "Lady Luck EP," released last summer, the album will see The Cab further exploring their R&B/pop side, as the band has been working with a variety of songwriters and producers such as Rob Knox, who did T.I. and Justin Timberlake's "Dead and Gone" and Ciara's "Love, Sex and Magic"; Claude Kelly, who has worked with the likes of Miley Cyrus and Kelly Clarkson; and the more rock-oriented John Fields, who has recorded Andrew W.K., Switchfoot, the Jonas Brothers and others.

"With this record, we're going very pop. We're experimenting," DeLeon says. "We're not worried about boundaries. We're not trying to play it safe, like I think maybe we did before.

"We have songs on this record that sound like One Republic songs," he continues. "We have a song that sounds like a Black Eyed Peas song, a Justin Timberlake song, a Kanye West-produced song. There will be a lot of diversity."

Prior to the release of the disc, The Cab already has secured some big-time touring commitments, having landed a spot on the upcoming Alternative Press Tour, which kicks off in March, as well as a slot on this summer's Warped Tour, which the band knows will be a challenge.

"Here we are, this soulful pop band on this punk rock tour," DeLeon says. "We're stoked to shake things up a little bit."

Besides, these dudes don't consider "pop" a put-down, something to be bashful of, like high school yearbook pictures.

"A lot of bands make a pop record because they think they have to, to stay relevant, to have CD sales," DeLeon says. "But with us, being pop, it's just who we are."

Contact reporter Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0476.