Gerard Way reflects back on writing My Chemical Romance’s first song

This week, Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World interviewed My Chemical Romance‘s Gerard Way for the Pass-Through Frequencies podcast.

During the in-depth interview, Way reflects back on the early days of MCR. From how he wrote one of their first songs “Skylines and Turnstiles” to how he collaborates with Frank Iero and Ray Toro, no musical topic was off-limits.

Read more: Hear Waterparks’ first post-‘FANDOM’ song “Lowkey As Hell”

Adkins has interviewed various musicians and friends for his podcast. He recently interviewed blink-182‘s Mark Hoppus who opened up on how a “happy accident” in the studio changed the ending of “Feeling This.”

Now, Adkins has linked up with Way to talk about his career as both a solo artist and frontman of My Chemical Romance. As well, Way opens up about his collaborative process with Gabriel Ba on The Umbrella Academy and more.

During the interview, Adkins asks Way if My Chemical Romance have a typical process when it comes to writing music. Way shares that, in the early days, he usually came to the band with a melody in mind. From there, both Toro and Iero would find a way to translate his idea on guitar.

“He [Toro] was writing a song with his son,” Way says. “And he said it reminded him of the early days of working with me because he said his son was basically walking around pacing singing melodies. Ray had a guitar and was kind of translating it and that’s how it was in the beginning. I would just kind of pace around smoking a cigarette and then I’d be like, ‘no, then it goes here!’ And I’d sing the melody and Ray would go, ‘okay it goes there.’”

Read more: Frank Iero reacts to this Leathermouth demo CD resurfacing

As well, Way reveals that My Chemical Romance never write songs to be “radio hits.” Instead, they create music that can be communicated and liked amongst their listeners.

“We would get excited about certain things in terms of what we thought was going to be something that communicated very successfully or at the very least something people liked,” he says. “We never really thought in terms of radio hits or anything like that.”

Way then goes on to describe just how My Chemical Romance’s first song was created. “Skylines and Turnstiles” is off of their debut full-length album I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love. According to Way, it is one of the first MCR songs he ever wrote.

Read more: Mikey Way is hosting Hot Topic’s benefit show with BVB and Bishop Briggs

“Actually the very first My Chemic song ‘Skylines and Turnstiles’ I did write on guitar,” he says. “So it was a tool I used sometimes. I wrote a good deal of ‘Vampires Will Never Hurt You‘ on the guitar…Frank and Ray had a way of making the chords I was singing the most interesting they could be. It would be like an improved version of what I was singing. It would feel very My Chem.”

During the podcast episode, Way also talks about My Chemical Romance’s postponed reunion tour. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, they were forced to postpone their 2020 shows until next year. Since then, My Chemical Romance have announced the new dates for the U.S., U.K., Europe and New Zealand legs of the tour.

Way’s full interview with Jim Adkins is available to watch below.

Is “Skylines and Turnstiles” one of your favorite My Chemical Romance songs? Let us know in the comments below.