Trace Cyrus, singer/guitarist of the emo-electro band Metro Station, has the words "Stay Gold" tattooed across the knuckles of both hands. It's from S.E. Hinton's young-adult novel "The Outsiders," a noirish and broken-hearted tale of teenage gang life canonical among tweens making their first rebellions and self-explorations through art.
It's a natural tattoo for the band's 18-year-old frontman, one of many that cover his forearms and androgynously skinny chest. Metro Station is positioned to siphon from the millions of fans of Cyrus' younger sister Miley (whom parents of any pre-adolescent girl will recognize as the star of Disney Channel's "Hannah Montana"), those interested in a band that's grittier and sexier than their old Disney-packaged pop extravaganzas.
Metro Station, including singer-guitarist Mason Musso, keyboardist Blake Healy and drummer Anthony Improgo, landed a record deal with Columbia and opening slots on A-list pop-punk tours (including Saturday's sold-out Troubadour show with Cobra Starship) through MySpace hustling and Hollywood word-of-mouth.
Metro Station's biggest challenge has been to escape its most obvious path to success, given that a Disney pedigree and a country-star adoptive father (Billy Ray Cyrus) are liabilities to winning teenage fans who have outgrown "High School Musical."
"I wanted to see how long we could go without anybody knowing," Cyrus said. "It's not like I didn't want to be associated with that, but I didn't want to be put in a genre where I had to be 'Approved for mothers and 12-year-olds.' I want to be myself."
Says Miley: "As you can see by going to his show or seeing a photo, we're very different. Trace's success has nothing to do with the family. He worked hard all on his own."
Cyrus and 18-year-old Musso were set up on a jam-date by their mothers in early 2006. (Musso's brother, Mitchel, plays Oliver Oken on "Hannah"). Cyrus worked in a Burbank mall on his way to dropping out of La Canada High School, while Musso attended acting auditions and music business classes at College of the Canyons.
After spotting 26-year-old Healy's band, the Bum Out Eternal, on MySpace, Cyrus and Musso asked him to join. Healy wasn't convinced at first.
"It felt like I was creepy hanging out with 17-year-olds," he said. "I had to ask my roommate, 'Hey, are these songs as good as I think they are?' "
