Face Value | Car Door

Check out Face Value's video for Car Door which comes from their EP Growing Up Young. 
You can also get to know a bit more about the band in our recent up & coming post (have a read here). 

Überyou | Frontiers

Überyou, who hail from Switzerland, are releasing their new 7", Frontiers,on Gunner Records (The Gaslight Anthem, Frank Turner) and Say-10 in the US. Alongside this, the band are touring South and Latin America as well as the US and Cuba, including an appearance at FEST in Gainsville. If you live in any of these places, check out the tour dates here.

Frontiers Tracklist:

Side A

1. So Long

2. Reputation

Side B

1. Uncontrollable

2. Best Of Me

Check out Uncontrollable from the new 7" below:

Great Thieves Escape 7"

On October 10th, True Trash Records and Flix Records are releasing a 7" titled Great Thieves Escape. The EP will feature Get Dead, toyGuitar, The Uprising and Lost In Society. 

The EP tracklist:

A1: Get Dead - Coma State

A2: The Uprising - Horizon

B1: toyGuitar - Wake the Dead

B2: Lost in Society - Second Chances

Order your copy here. 

Get Dead's Bandcamp | toyGuitar's Youtube | The Uprising's Bandcamp |  Lost In Society's Youtube

Up & Coming Pop Punk Bands | Face Value

Face Value, who hail from Maryland, have recently released their EP Growing Up Young. The EP holds nine tracks of relentless energy and impeccable riffs while also featuring two slower songs, showing their softer side. Face Value's sound seems to be rooted in early 2000s pop punk with a feel-good vibe that makes it easy to compare them to the bands such as The Starting Line and Yellowcard. However, they also display a more updated sound similar to Handguns and Forever Came Calling. Each song has an unforgettable chorus, which will leave you singing along after only a few listens. The band kindly answered some questions for us about Growing Up Young, where they got their band name from and their plans for the rest of summer...

WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
Face Value is from the suburbs North of Baltimore City, Maryland.

HOW DID FACE VALUE FORM?
Face Value was originally formed by current lead singer, and rhythm guitarist, Alec Myers, and former lead guitarist Garret Heydt, under the band name "Out to See" in early 2012. Shortly after the formation, the band recruited current drummer Jeremiah "Jeb" Douglas, and former member Kyle Ritter to do lead vocals. Living so close to each other, sharing a mutual love of late 90's, early 2000's pop punk, and being best friends was the basis that allowed Out to See to begin writing their first demos and playing their first shows in the Baltimore area. Witnessing the departure of initial members Kyle and Garret, and then undergoing some role changing, the band emerged as Face Value after brothers Parker Ross and Grayson Ross joined the band, meshing their unique pop rock and effect-driven sound with the fundamental raw punk tendencies Alec and Jeremiah gravitated towards. 

WHERE DID YOU GET THE NAME FACE VALUE FROM?
Although it may sound cliche, we got the name "Face Value" from a New York based pop punk band called With the Punches. Needless to say we definitely enjoyed With the Punches, and still do, even though they broke up. "Face Value" is not only a title of a song they had wrote, it is also a name that carries an idea and an attitude. "From the clothes you wear, to the car you drive, to the company you keep, they’re all just worthless commodities". It may sounds simple and sharp at first, but I think it is a line that carries a lot of weight, as well as the song in its entirety. To us, Face Value means being yourself, and not judging people by their face value. Life is more then just material things and how you look, and who you want to look like. Don't cover up who you really are, don't think celebrities and magazines are a good representation of how you should live your life. "Find your own personality, a heavy dose of humility, and you might not be a joke, to everyone around you."

TELL US A BIT ABOUT GROWING UP YOUNG...
To start off "Growing up Young" is not an EP written by one guy and it is not an EP full of bullshit. To us "Growing up Young" is an honest album simply about trying to stay young throughout all of the adversity life throws at you. Losing someone you love sucks, addiction sucks, break-ups suck and we think a lot of people will let these experiences slowly degrade them into a state of self-pity and sadness. The all-too-familiar trials and tribulations of life will definitely push you to the brink of giving up, but maintaining a positive and youthful attitude and worrying about yourself sometimes will never be a bad thing. We think the songs on our EP our very relatable, and they were not written necessarily for the sole purpose to be relatable to others, but were a way for us in Face Value to cope with our problems and sadness through music.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SONG FROM GROWING UP YOUNG AND WHY?
Car Door is definitely our personal favorite song of the album. It is a break-up song, but I still think it is a great culmination of all of our musical styles as a band. It combines the vocal melody heavy pop punk we love with some of the harder faster punkier, pop punk that is becoming prevalent with the modern scene. The vocals are very clean and melodic yet the instrumentation still contains some beatdowny post choruses, and some double time, that really put and edge on the poppier elements. I think the song is very accessible to anyone who enjoys the genre. 

HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE ARTWORK FOR GROWING UP YOUNG?
In some way, shape, or form, we got the idea of corn. Alec our vocalist lives near a lot of cornfields, maybe Jeb ate corn that day, but for some reason we got stuck on the idea of a cornfield. We talked to good amount of graphic designers and ended up going with a guy named Chris Pappas. He really brought the idea to life and we are super happy with how the art turned out. We are currently sticking with the idea that corn grows pretty fast so in the most literal sense possible, corn gorws up young. That's all we got. 

IF YOU COULD PLAY A SHOW WITH ANY BAND WHO WOULD IT BE?
Blink-182. I think every kid who starts a band in high school wants to play a show with blink-182. It is a very universal dream. With the Punches or The Story so Far could be cool shows too. 

TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT FACE VALUE WE MIGHT BE SURPRISED TO KNOW...
Our favorite fun fact is that Jeb, our drummer, was originally asked to play piano in the band but after watching him behind a kiddy drumset for the first time, we know he was meant to bang on stuff. We actually have a video of the first time we heard Jeb drumming. We are embarrassingly moshing and skating in our former member Kyles' garage in front of a kiddie drumset. 

WHAT ARE FACE VALUE'S PLANS FOR THE REST OF THE SUMMER?
Face Value are monetarily recuperating after our first tour and are currently in talks with some new sound engineers to record a few new songs for a split potentially coming out this Fall. Mainly though we are going to be playing around Baltimore, trying to get some more exposure, promoting the new EP, and just having a good time. We will be printing physical copies of the EP for sale online and at shows, as well as getting some new merch such as shirts and stickers to be selling online and at shows. 

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP FIVE FAVOURITE POP PUNK ALBUMS?
1. Take off Your Pants and Jacket: Blink-182
2. The Young and the Hopeless : Good Charlotte
3. When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes : Yellowcard
4. The Upsides: Wonder Years
5. Under Soil and Dirt: The Story so Far



Face Value's  Facebook | Twitter 

Knuckle Puck Stream New Album

Knuckle Puck are streaming their new album Copacetic over on Red Bull. The new album is set to be released on July 31, check it out below:

Up & Coming Pop Punk Bands | Why Everyone Left

Why Everyone Left are an Italian pop punk/easycore band who recently released a new video for their song, Pack Your Shit. We asked them a few questions to get to know a bit more about them...

WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
We're from Modena, Italy!

HOW DID WHY EVERYONE LEFT FORM?

We all come from other local bands that kind of broke up in the same period. We decided to start a new project and we're trying to go as far as possible.

DESCRIBE WHY EVERYONE LEFT'S MUSIC IN THREE WORDS...
Powerful, catchy, fun.

WHAT'S THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING FROM ITALY?
It may sound clichè but our food culture is amazing, really!

YOU RECENTLY RELEASED A NEW VIDEO FOR PACK YOUR SHIT, HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE VIDEO IDEA?
We wanted something funny and lively, and then we had this “Pacman thing” idea with these ghosts chasing us around the streets and a kid controlling us from an old game arcade.

IF YOU COULD PLAY A SHOW WITH ANY BAND WHO WOULD IT BE?
Probably playing with A Day To Remember. That would be the sickest thing ever!

IF YOU COULD TOUR ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD WHERE WOULD IT BE?
Probably everywhere ahah. The thing is, we've never toured outside our country yet, so we just want to tour as many countries as possible. We would love to tour Japan and the UK.

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP FIVE FAVOURITE POP PUNK/ EASYCORE ALBUMS?
Blink-182 - Enema Of The State
City Lights – In It To Win It
A Day To Remember – Homesick
New Found Glory – Sticks And Stones
The Starting Line – Say It Like You Mean It

Check out the video for Pack Your Shit below:

Why Everyone Left's Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp

Homebound | Interview

Last week, Homebound released their new EP, Permanence, which is the second release in the band's repertoire. Alongside the release, the band finished up their UK tour with Six Time Champion. Vocalist, Charlie Boughton, kindly answered some questions for us about the new EP, the UK tour and Homebound's plans for the rest if the summer...

HOW ARE YOU GUYS AND HOW HAS THE TOUR BEEN GOING?

We’re good, this tour has been way too fun! We’ve had the best company in the form of Six Time Champion and These Minds which always makes touring SO much better. We’ve got to play shows in lots of new and familiar places which are both good in equal measure. Definitely the best tour we’ve been a part of. 

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE DATE OF THE TOUR AND WHY?

Bristol was fun, we’ve always had a good time there and it didn’t disappoint this time either. I mean, who would’ve thought we’d have a push pit in our set? Although, I’m gonna say London was my favourite. Seeing kids give a shit about your band is what it’s all about. Shout out to the American dude making the most of his time in the UK to come and see us! It was a great way to end the tour.

YOU'VE JUST RELEASED YOUR NEW EP PERMANENCE, TELL US A BIT ABOUT IT...

It relates a lot to the feeling that everything around you is changing while your still the same person struggling to kick start your life. There’s that fear that the same opportunities aren’t coming for you as they are for others and being left behind, only making you doubt yourself and every decision you make. I think these are sentiments that a lot of people can relate to at some point in their own life and situation. 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE TRACK FROM PERMANENCE AND WHY?

I like them all for different reasons! Probably Blossom? I think it shows the most progression musically from our last release. Lyrically, Cave In captures the essence of the EP and ends the record on a positive message…So maybe Cave In. I’m very indecisive, I’m sorry.

HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE ARTWORK FOR PERMANENCE? 

All credit goes to Jordan Pryke for this one as he absolutely nailed it. We gave him a pretty brief outline of the meaning behind ‘Permanence’, mainly highlighting the feelings of being left behind and struggling to break out of the rut we get ourselves into which he quite literally captured. We as a band like interesting artwork and all the fine details put into it that you don’t always notice on first look. We couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.  

WHO ARE YOUR GUYS' FAVOURITE UK POP PUNK BANDS?

Boston Manor are firm favourites of ours, they’re good guys too. Six Time Champion, Ca$h Boat ROAM, These Minds, WSTR, Best Years. Too many to name these days which just shows you the strength in depth the UK scene has right now.

IF YOU COULD PLAY A SHOW WITH ANY BAND WHO WOULD IT BE?

I think we’d all have a different answer but there’s a few we’re bound to agree on. Blink and Sum 41 are no brainers. Might be a weird show but Limp Bizkit would also be sick. 

WHAT ARE HOMEBOUND'S PLANS AFTER THE RELEASE OF PERMANENCE AND THE UK TOUR?

More touring hopefully! We’re dead happy with these tracks and just wanna keep playing them to as many new and familiar faces. We’ve started writing a few bits here and there as we don’t want to wait another year before releasing something new if we can help it.

Permanence is out now. Check out the video for Worthwhile below: 



Homebound's Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp

Yeah Detroit Announce European Tour

Yeah Detroit will be commencing on a European tour this August with special guests, Earl Grey. To raise some funds Yeah Detroit have reduced their T-shirts to £5 on their merch store (pick yours up here). Check out the dates below: 

Yeah Detroit's Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp

Earl Grey's Facebook | Bandcamp

Landmarks Release New Video

Landmarks have released a new video for their song Worse For Wear, which appears on their recent EP Fighting Gravity. Check it out below: 

Up & Coming Pop Punk Bands | Wonderland Trip

For today's up and coming post we have Wonderland Trip who hail from Manchester. Last year the band released their EP Presence of Absence and are now in the process of recording the follow up. We asked bassist Adam and vocalist/ guitarist Ste a few questions...


WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
Manchester

HOW DID WONDERLAND TRIP FORM?
Ste: Originally we started with the line up of me on guitar and vocals, Adam on bass, my mate Dale Calderbank on 2nd guitar and vocals and Andrew J. Sant on drums. Dale and I started the band playing around with song ideas we had. We'd been playing in bands with each other on and off since we were kids so it was easy to write new stuff. Then we decided we would need a drummer and a bassist. I put an ad in every guitar shop I knew of in Manchester and soon received a reply from Adam. I met Andy through a friend of a friend. The first rehearsal we just jammed through a few of the songs Dale and I had. We all seemed to click from there on.

Adam: After spending a couple of years playing gigs all over, we decided we wanted to take the band in a different direction and started spending some serious time in the studio. At this point we also changed drummers and decided to become a three piece

DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC IN 3 WORDS FOR SOMEONE WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE HEARD IT BEFORE...

Adam: Melodic, catchy punk

Ste: Simply the best!

LAST YEAR YOU RELEASED YOUR EP PRESENCE OF ABSENCE, TELL US A BIT ABOUT IT....
Adam: If you're into pop punk and like catchy melodies you’ll love it.

Ste: The EP took two years to finish, there are 4 tracks, track one, Bring Back The Sunshine ,was one of the first tunes we started jamming together. Track two Shattered Visage was our newest song at the time and took the longest to record. Track three, The Girl That Was You, was the first track we recorded with producer Neil Treppas (Iron Maiden, Kasabian) and the easiest and quickest to record. Track four Now You're Gone is my favourite on the EP, it shows off some of Neil's skills with weird sounds and awesome intro and outro ideas but mainly making the song sound cool from start to finish!

YOU'VE RECENTLY BEEN IN THE STUDIO WORKING ON THE FOLLOW UP TO PRESENCE OF ABSENCE, CAN YOU TELL US ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE BEEN UP TO?
Ste: The drum tracks, bass and some guitars are done for two of the tracks. We also received a mix from the producer of one of the completed tracks for the new EP. It's sounding epic! The three of us have also been chatting about the general vibe of the EP and how it should sound, the songs are a lot more upbeat and rocky, so this EP will have a bigger, louder, American rock/pop/punk sound with heavy drums and noisier guitars!

DO YOU PREFER RECORDING OR PLAYING LIVE?
Ste: The two are a lot different but we enjoy both sides to it. The recording process can be a bit slow at times but we enjoy throwing different ideas around and hearing the songs develop. Then when you get out there and get to play them live it’s the best part.

Adam: It’s great when you finished recording and know you’ve made a song as good as it can be, but it's got to be perfect before we let anyone hear it. Playing live is what its all about though.

IF YOU COULD PLAY A SHOW WITH ANY BAND WHO WOULD IT BE?
Ste: Foo fighters, if not them, then the biggest band in the world at that time.

Adam: I’d love to play at one of the big festivals, but I reckon we’d make a good warm up act for Blink 182.

WHAT ARE YOU TOP FIVE FAVOURITE POP PUNK ALBUMS?
Ste: Self titled Blink 182 album, Foo Fighters- one by one, Inme- white butterfly, Blink 182- Take Off Your Pants and Jacket and Green Day- International Super Hits.

Adam: Ataris- So Long, Astoria, Blink 182- Dude Ranch, Screeching Weasel- Thank You Very Little, Fall Out Boy- From Under the Cork Tree, Ash- 1977.

Check out Wonderland Trip's video for Bring Back The Sunshine below:

Wonderland Trip's Facebook | Twitter

The Kimberly Steaks | Interview

In May of this year, The Kimberly Steaks played a few dates around the UK, alongside of the release of their new EP Chemical Imbalance. We asked the band a few questions ahead of their set at JT Soar in Nottingham...

CAN YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELVES AND WHAT YOU DO IN THE KIMBERELY STEAKS?
Greg: I'm Greig. I play guitar and sing.
Ross: I'm Ross and I play drums
Tam: I'm Tam and I play bass and do some singing. 

HOW'S THE TOUR BEEN GOING?
Tam: We played Glasgow on Wednesday with Frenzal Rhomb. We came down to Manchester the next day and met up with Austeros, we're playing tonight and we're doing the rest of the gigs with them. So, it's been Manchester, Cheltenham, London and here, and home tomorrow and back to uni and things. 

HAVE YOU GUYS BEEN HAVING FUN?
Tam: Yeah, it's been really good actually. We didn't know what to expect because it's Groezrock this weekend and it seems like a stupid time to do a tour but other than that, it's worked out really well.
Ross: There's lots of places we've never played before as well. We've never played in Cheltenham. We did a house show there and it was really fun. We've never played in Nottingham before. All the gigs have been really good. Austeros are a really good band as well. 

DO YOU GET TIME TO HAVE A LOOK AROUND THE DIFFERENT CITIES THAT YOU VISIT?
Ross: We've just been eating a lot really. 
Greig: Lots of burritos and stuff like that.
PPUK: Where do you like to eat when you're on the road?
Greig: It's been really varied. We've been eating really well. It's been quite a good holiday. 
Tam: It generally seems to be quite spicy. We smell really bad for the rest of the day, we stink out the car. But yeah, we didn't get a chance to look around Nottingham today because we came straight from London and we were all pretty hungover. It took us about three hours to leave and we had to get burritos obviously as well. It looks lovely coming in though. 
Ross: It's a nice bit of the country, lots of countryside. 

IF YOU COULD TOUR ANYWHERE, WHERE WOULD YOU GO?
Greig: We were talking the other day about going to Japan. We sell a lot of CDs and records in Japan. It's really cool. 
Ross: UK style pop punk, they seem to love it in Japan. 
Tam: There's a midlands band called Skimmer and they play Japan and China quite a lot. They just play to thousands of people, it's amazing. They seem to do really well. The gigs are apparently great and the crowd is awesome. I would love to go, a wee lad's holiday. 
Greig: I would love to go to Spain, I've never played there before. 

HOW DID YOU GUYS FORM?
Greig: We formed years and years ago. The bands always been called The Kimberly Steaks but I'm the only original member. There's not really like an interesting story behind it just me and a couple of friends from school and we started playing. I knew these two from different bands and this is the way it's ended up.

HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE NAME THE KIMBERLY STEAKS? 
Greig: We can't remember the exact story but it was the drummer's wee brother and he had a friend who apparently had an imaginary girlfriend and for some reason he just made up the name 'Steak' and we don't know how it came about but we thought it was really funny and we decided to call the band 'The Kimberly Steaks'. 
Ross: I think it's quite a good name because they'll never be anyone else called 'The Kimberley Steaks'. 

DO YOU GUYS LISTEN TO A LOT OF POP PUNK?
Tam: Yeah pretty much. We've kind of all grown up listening to it and we listen to it loads now. That's pretty much all we listen to in the car. We listen to Chicxsdiggit, Teenage Bottlerocket, Mean Jeans. There's been some great bands that we've played with like Don Blake from Manchester. There's some really great bands around at the minute like The Murderburgers, they're from Glasgow as well. 

HOW DO YOU GUYS KEEP YOURSELVES ENTERTAINED WHEN YOU'RE ON THE ROAD?
Tam: What we've done is, on an ipod we've put old Alan Partridge shows, in between listening to loads of music. We've been listening to dumb old radio shows and stuff like that. We just have really stupid jokes that just aren't funny in anyway to anybody else but because we've spent so much time together it becomes like a really stupid in-joke. We just sit and giggle a lot about really dumb stuff. We go a little bit weird by the end of it. 

ANY LAST WORDS?
Tam: We've got a wee 7" that we recorded but there was a massive fuck up at the place and they printed side A on side B as well, so it's just the same songs on both sides. We were meant to have copies on this tour but it didn't work out. It's out and we'll have it available soon. 
Greig: Also, we're coming back here in July. We're doing a wee tour with the Murderburgers.(Check out the tour dates here).  

Check out Chemical Imbalance below:



The Kimberly Steaks' Facebook 

Up & Coming Pop Punk Bands | Where There's Life

For today's up and coming post, we have Where There's Life who have just released their new self titled EP (Check out our review of it here). We asked the guys a few questions about themselves and their new EP... 

WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

We're all from around Edinburgh!

HOW DID YOU FORM?

Edinburgh has quite a small music scene for the kind of stuff we play so most of us knew of each other from being in various bands. When Dann and I (Bruce) left our previous band we called up some friends to start something new. Callum and I had played in a band years ago and we all knew Cammy from playing in his other band "Hold Up! There's Hope". Cammy introduced us all to Jack and the whole group just came together really well after a couple practices.

DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC IN 3 WORDS FOR SOMEONE WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE HEARD IT BEFORE..

Heavy Pop Punk.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEW SELF TITLED EP...

We all just wanted to write music that brought together all of our favourite aspects of the bands that we listen to. So with these 5 tracks we feel like we really captured the catchy melodies and happy, nostalgic vibes of pop punk but still scattered in some moments that are slightly more serious and stray more towards the rock side of the spectrum and mention things like coping with sadness and feeling like you don't really have a place in the world quite yet. Alongside this, we're all big fans of heavier music and we really wanted to bring that energy and aggression to our sound so we incorporated the screamed vocals and the heavy breakdowns and riffs in almost every song to give the EP a lot more of a punch and a lot more energy. The overall feeling of the EP is really saying life isn't always easy and sometimes you get knocked down but stay hopeful, there's always a reason to get back up and fight for what you want and try to live a happy life doing what you love.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SONG FROM THE EP AND WHY?

Out of all of the songs on the EP the lead single "Where We Go" really encompassed what we wanted to do with the sound of our band. It's energetic, it's catchy, it has a huge breakdown, the middle section of the song really brings the more serious feeling into it and then it all rounds off with a huge sing-a-long. Everyone was really happy with that song in particular.

DO YOU PREFER RECORDING OR PLAYING LIVE?

We actually haven't played a show yet! We wanted to release music first so people could decide whether or not they liked us before they paid for a ticket to come see us. We're in the process of organising our first show now and we're just about to announce all of the details, everyone is beyond excited to play and we can't wait to let people hear our live set, we've tried to make it as fun as possible for anyone that comes to a show. The recording process was great though, our guitarist, Dann, produced the entire EP in his bedroom and he's incredibly talented and really passionate about that side of music so it was great to see him doing his thing. I think you can really tell he's put a huge amount of time and effort into it.

IF YOU COULD PLAY A SHOW WITH ANYONE WHO WOULD YOU PICK?

It's between Four Year Strong or Blink 182!

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP FIVE FAVOURITE POP PUNK ALBUMS?

- Rise Or Die Trying - Four Year Strong

- Homesick - A Day To Remember

- Enema Of The State - Blink 182

- Under Soil And Dirt - The Story So Far

- From Under The Cork Tree - Fall Out Boy

Check out Where There's Life's self titled EP below:

Where There's Life's Facebook | Twitter | Youtube | Soundcloud 

Up & Coming Pop Punk Bands | Stay Gold

Earlier this year, Stay Gold who hail from the US, released their brand new EP, Songs About Bad Luck. We asked them a few questions to find out a bit more about them and their new EP...


WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

Kenosha, WI (US)

We’re more than proud to be midwest born and raised!

HOW DID YOU GUYS FORM?

Stay Gold originally started as a two-piece acoustic, emotional/alternative band between Kody Sullivan (Guitar/Vocals) and Mike Gaertner (Drums) who met in high school. After playing less than a handful of shows, we both realized we wanted to bring the noise. In the summer of 2013, Stay Gold became a 4-piece pop punk band with both lead and rhythm guitars, bass, drums, and two voices.

DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC IN FIVE WORDS FOR SOMEONE WHO'S NEVER LISTENED TO YOUR MUSIC BEFORE...

Honest, Struggle-based, Boisterous, Melancholy, Relatable. 

TELL US ABOUT YOUR EP, SONGS ABOUT BAD LUCK...

Its a collection of 3 songs written during the fall and winter, touching base on change and the way life seems to drop pianos on our heads from time to time. The opening two songs focus on not being able to get over that 'certain somebody', the one who got away, and closes with the a song reminding the listener that even though life gets tough, and sometimes things dont work out the way you’ve planned, you’ll always have your home on your back, no matter what life throws at you.

Its the perfect mix of sad, fun, sing-a-long melodies all wrapped into American made Chicago hardened pop punk. It’s got an edge, but on its downtime, it’ll take you for an emotional ride through loss and perseverance. 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SONG FROM SONGS ABOUT BAD LUCK AND WHY?

State Street in a heartbeat. It really shows the gigantic maturity our music has taken since our first EP, Sixth Avenue which was released only a year ago! Everything about that song is honest.The lyrics are no shrug of the shoulder, and the instrumentation is a perfect example of “our sound”.

HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE ARTWORK FOR SONGS ABOUT BAD LUCK?

The artwork touches ground on a lot of small details. It’s a photograph of our friend and mascot, Pat the Cat. Ironically, Pat the Cat is the underdog. He reflects everybody’s bad luck. He’s the one who was picked last in gym class, and the guy that never had the nerve to tell his dream girl how he felt. Pat the Cat is the second-best outcast.

The photograph is Pat the Cat holding a bunch of dead flowers. It symbolizes how long he’s been waiting to give them to somebody, who presumably, might be the girl he never got over, or somebody he may have lost in his past. Whomever it may be, the crumbled mess in his hand translates the time he's waited, and still - nothing. 

We all have a piece of Pat the Cat inside of us. He’s a universal icon to the ones who’ve faced struggle and resentment. When he falls on his skateboard, he gets back up, and when he spills his drink, he buys another. He’s exhausted and honestly there's not much left for him, but he keeps trying. 

IF COULD PLAY A SHOW WITH ANY BAND WHO WOULD YOU PICK?

Kody - Real Friends

Mike - Neck Deep

Peter - To fit with our genre, Title Fight, but if it were any band, definitely Converge.

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP FIVE FAVOURITE ALBUMS OF ALL TIME?

Kody: 

Floral Green - Title Fight

Suburbia, I've Given You All and Now I'm Nothing - The Wonder Years
American Radass - Dads (Best album name and best song title tracks I've ever laid my eyes on, those dudes are too funny.)

Turnover - Turnover
Blue Album - Weezer

Mike:

Rain in July - Neck Deep

Wishful Thinking - Neck Deep

Good Charlotte - Good Charlotte

Avenged Sevenfold - Avenged Sevenfold

In Love and Death - The Used

Can I actually add a sixth onto my list? AFI’s ‘Decemberunderground' is a close 5th next to 'In Love and Death’.  Both are such spectacular albums that I grew up on. It’d be wrong of me to not list them both side by side like they’ve been on my shelf for so many years.

Peter:

Axe to Fall - Converge 

Nevermind - Nirvana

The Difference Between Hell and Home - Counterparts

Rise or Die Trying - Four Year Strong

Gnarwolves - Gnarwolves 

Check out Songs About Bad Luck below:

Stay Gold's Facebook | Twitter |

Where There's Life | EP Review

Edinburgh’s Where There’s Life have just released their new self-titled EP, which combines pop punk with heavier fragments, similar to the likes of Four Year Strong and A Day To Remember. The EP contains 5 relentless tracks which get the balance between heaviness and pop punk just right 

First of all, the EP launches into Wasted. Although the song is just over a minute long, it sets the EP off at the right pace with upbeat, melodic vocals and bold riffs.  

Up next is Lego which opens with a punchy riff. The song is vivacious and parades an abundance of energy, aided by an unforgettable chorus. The song also holds an impressive breakdown three quarters of the way through unleashing the bands heavier pop punk side.

The third track is Where We Go. The introduction is bouncy with an impressive vocal melody that immediately grasps your attention. The song is buoyant and uplifting, exhibiting a profusion of energy. The gang vocals towards serve the band well, creating a perfect excuse to sing along.

Twenty Three displays Where There’s Life’s more fervent side and they pull it off well. From just listening to this track, it would be hard to guess that the previous three tracks were cheery pop punk anthems. The song displays impassioned lyrics and coincides with vehement vocals.

Anchors returns Where There’s Life to more their chilled side. The song has a poppy chorus complimented by amiable riffs. The song is straightforward but enticing, harbouring a crisp riff just as it ends, prompting you to hit replay.  

Overall, Where There’s Life have put together an impressive EP, especially considering it was recorded in their guitarist's bedroom without external help. The juxtaposition of the soft vocals and the heavy guitar parts are a nice touch and although it’s nothing new, Where There’s Life have made it their own and have done an incredible job of it. The lyrics denote youthful themes but at no point are they futile or credulous, displaying a mature flare. If you’re a fan of Four Year Strong, A Day To Remember or Me vs Hero, definitely give these guys a listen. 

Check out the EP below:



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Knuckle Puck Release New Song

Knuckle Puck have released a new song titled True Contrite from their upcoming album Copacetic. Check it out below: