With so many great albums being released already this fall, it's starting to get tough to decide which album will be the one you blare in your school parking lot or at the mall to get people's attention. Will it be the new jam by The Swellers? How about the incredible new Paramore album? Hmm, tough decisions! Yesterday I picked up the new full length from The Summer Set, came home to make my BLATMmm, and caught myself wiggling a little bit, followed by some loud mumbles going along with the new music that I didn't know the lyrics to yet, and we all do it! Anyways, Brian Dales, lead singer of The Summer Set, was down to participate in this installment of the infamous "5 Questions" blog. Enjoy!

creative commons/victoria morse

1. What prompted you to become vegetarian/vegan? Were there any bands or books that influenced your decision?
I honestly became a vegetarian a year ago for health and dietary purposes, but last spring when we brought out our new vegan merch guy Dylan on tour with us I started really thinking and learning about the unethical treatment of animals and what I can do to get myself involved.

2. What are some of your favorite vegetarian foods?
I just eat a ridiculous amount of Mexican food on tour. Substituting anything with beans is really easy. When I'm home I really like making pastas and salads with Morning Star Grilled Chicken Strips.

3. Of all of the major animal rights issues, are there any issues that are particularly close to your heart?
Right now I feel really strong about cosmetic/personal care product testing on animals. The stuff I've been reading is awful and the tests that they run on animals are disgusting and unnecessary. I really hope this can be put an end to. Most of the companies don't even need to test their products on animals according to regulations.

4. If a fan were to approach you with questions about how to get involved with animal rights, what advice would you give him or her?
If a fan approached me with questions on how to get involved, I would tell them to reach out and get in contact with someone who works for an animal rights organization and to do their homework. It's very important to know just what's going on and the more knowledgeable and learned you are, the more suited you will be to help bring this to an end.

5. What does The Summer Set have coming up this year that we can be looking forward to?
Well we have our debut full-length album titled Love Like This coming out on October 13th! Right after that we are going out on tour with Cartel and This Providence for the remainder of the year and then you can probably expect us to tour throughout most of 2010 too. Come out to a show!

For your chance to win The Summer Set's new album, Love Like This, please leave a comment below with your favorite song that you like to groove to while cooking a tasty vegetarian/vegan meal. Two winners will be chosen at random. Entries must be received by October 28, and the winners will be notified by November 4.

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-Cody