SOFT PLAY release first taste of new era with ‘Punk’s Dead’
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
We hope that you are enjoying your Bank Holiday weekend whatever you are doing? Be sure to read until the end for some News Report news!!
We begin though with the return of SOFT PLAY (formerly known as Slaves). The duo have now shared their first taste of new music since they reconvened for 2000trees last month.
Next up in our News Report this week are Black Stone Cherry who are on the home stretch towards new album, ‘Screamin’ at the Sky’, which arrives on September 29th.
Continuing the build up, the band have now shared latest single, ‘Smile, World’, which you can check out above.
DragonForce vocalist Marc Hudson has shared, ‘Starbound Stories’, the latest track from his solo album of the same name. You can of course listen to the track above.
Hudson says, āāStarbound Storiesā, the title track, serves as the unrelenting epilogue to the albumās sonically rich tapestry of adventure & destiny, resounding into skies and souls alike the ultimate power metal anthem of perseverance & belief in the self.ā
The final new release in our News Report this week comes from Silent Planet, who have shared new single, ‘Collider’, which you can check out above.
The track comes ahead of upcoming album, ‘SUPERBLOOM’, which arrives on November 3rd.
Take all the darkness. All the vitriol, the greed and the vanity; lay it again as dust. Everything can be alchemized. This song is called ‘Collider,'” says singer Garrett Russell. “It’s about what comes out of our lives when the people we trust and hold closest are the ones who can hurt or betray us the worst. We don’t have to run from the pain or be afraid. The dark gives us the energy to make something beautiful. The song is about alchemizing the darkness and transforming its negative properties.”
“A SUPERBLOOM is this strange moment where brilliant fauna spring forth unexpectedly and bring forth such an array of colors, it almost feels alien in origin,” Garrett notes. “It only lasts for a couple of weeks before itās gone. While we were recording, the SUPERBLOOM was happening. For me, the record is getting in touch with the other side and watching the strange and paranormal emerge from the mundane and profane, hence the title.”
Northern Irish metal outfit ARCHIVES have announced their new album ‘No Bliss In Ignorance’ and shared lead single āNo Sweatā.
Talking about the new single, vocalist Adam Holland shares: āNo sweat is about the concept of corruption/hypocrisy within corporations and institutions. Regardless of how much you try to hide it the truth will always find the light eventually. The single shares the harsh reality that much of the worlds corruption is covered up by those who financially gain from it. Some people are born into wealth & privilege and are undeserving of it.ā
Skies Turn Black – ‘Sweet, Sweet Solitude’
British heavy metal up-and-comers Skies Turn Black have released new anthem ‘Sweet, Sweet Solitude’.
The band comment: “‘Sweet, Sweet Solitude’ was written back in lockdown, and lyrically it discusses the loneliness that lots of us went through during that time. Musically speaking, it’s a contrast from our usual flashy guitar work, leaving more space for the voice and the other instruments to shine.”
Raisin Awareness – ‘No More’
UK punk band Raisin Awareness share new song ‘No More’.
Jo D, the band’s lead vocalist, and guitarist, says, “This song is my way of personifying my internal struggle with depression and anxiety. The lyrics, ‘As we converse with these voices inside of our heads, I just can’t believe all the things that I said to myself,’ depict the constant, often self-deprecating dialogue that occurs in my mind.
Followed then by the line, ‘it’s like Piccadilly Circus inside of my head,’ metaphorically illustrates the chaotic nature of my mental health battles. Much like London’s Piccadilly Circus’s bustling, overwhelming nature, my mind is constantly filled with noise, confusion, and turmoil brought on by anxiety and depression.
Despite the personal growth I’ve experienced, the response ‘No more, no more, do you care’ represents the relentless nature of anxiety and depression. Even as I evolve and grow stronger, these personified entities remain, constantly challenging my perception of self-improvement.
Further to that, the song’s dialogue between ‘Do you know me’ and ‘Do you care’ signifies the complex relationship between personal growth and mental health. It’s a testament to the fact that even as we make strides in understanding ourselves and growing, our mental health battles persist, sometimes making us question if any real progress has been made.”
We began our News Report in February 2021, but this week will be the last edition in its current format. We will be announcing our replacement later this week on Social Media so make sure that you are following Full Pelt!
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
We begin this week with the best new releases from the past week and it’s Ash that get us started.
The trio have recently revealed that they will release a new album, ‘Race the Night’ on September 15th. This week the group debuted their latest single, ‘Like a God’, which you can check out above.
Frontman Tim Wheeler comments: “Like A God pushes the rock aspect of the album to its furtherest limits. An ode to sexual apotheosis it revels in a carnal riff played with mantra like repetition before reaching a frenzied climax.”
Skindred are also building towards the release of a new album with ‘Smile’ set to arrive on August 4th!
This week saw the group share their latest single, ‘Unstoppable’, which you can check out above.
As a band, weāve survived the rise and fall of a million genres, trend and fads in this world,ā says guitarist Mikey Demus. āPeople have tried and failed to put us in a box we refuse to live in. Skindred has a determination and a tenacity to stay true to ourselves, and true to our fans. Skindred will not be ignored. We are Unstoppable!ā
āWe keep going and we keep pushing forward,ā says frontman Benji Webbe, a man whoās no stranger to being unstoppable, having survived sepsis and having his throat slashed. āIn life, itās about hearing that our music has encouraged people and got them through dark times. But even when weāre done and gone, people will still be listening to this music. That thought makes me smile.ā
Following a slew of successful festival appearances, Bob Vylan have shared their brand new single, ‘Dream Big’, which you can check out above!
Commenting on the single, Vylan said “Written for my younger self and anybody that dreams of accomplishing or changing something. A reminder of where we have come from and what we are capable of.”
Bad Wolves have this week shared their new single, ‘Bad Friend’, which you can check out above!
āāBad Friendā exemplifies exactly where Bad Wolves always wanted to be as a band,ā relays vocalist Daniel āDLā Laskiewicz. āIt lives dead center of being melodically catchy as well as crushingly heavy and is a great representation of our new upcoming album. This song reminds us that TRUE friendship is not about being perfect or always saying the right thing but being there for each other through the good times and the bad. Itās also to be willing to acknowledge oneās own mistakes and make things right. If you canāt do that, you might be a bad f*cking friend.ā
Next in our News Report are The Dollyrots who have this week revealed that they will release a new album, ‘Night Owls’, on October 13th.
You can check out previous single ‘Hey Girl’ above.
āYou know how they say a bandās first album is usually their best? Well, I think because we had time for this one, you know, since the world stopped due to Covid, itās a lot like a first album. We had so many bits and pieces and once we could finally get into the studio it all just flew out of us, like we had been holding something vital & urgent in for years. Because we had. If you love The Dollyrots youāll love āNight Owls”. If you donāt know The Dollyots, youāll probably love it too,ā says singer / bassist Kelly Ogden.
Rising indie rockers The K’s recently unveiled their latest single, ‘Landmines’, which you can check out above.
Frontman Jamie Boyle explains:
āLandmines is a memoir of myself growing up. Itās a story that is familiar to me, the band and thousands of other people across the UK who experienced the transition into adolescence living in a working-class town. The song sends many of us back to our late-teen days where the only recipe for a good night with friends was cheap alcohol and some sort of shelter, whether that be a tunnel or a skate park. Landmines brings back fond memories of the first real time we were free to explore the world by ourselves as, what we then thought were, āadultsā and the events that ensuedā.
Willie J Healey shares new single ‘Woke Up Smiling’
Willie J Healey – ‘Woke Up Smiling’
Next up in our News Report this week is Willie J Healey who has shared his latest single, ‘Woke Up Smiling’, which you can check out above!
The track comes from upcoming new album, ‘Bunny’, which will arrive on August 25th.
On the track, Healey says “I wrote this during a glorious period of my life. I was living in a studio flat in Bristol, it had these huge sash windows which let huge amounts of morning sun in. Iād make coffee and sit with my guitar & cat, Iām pretty sure my cat helped me write that song.ā
King Nun have this week debuted new single, ‘Golden Age’, which you can check out above!
The single will feature on upcoming new album, ‘Lamb’, which is due for release on September 29th.
Speaking in the new single, vocalist Theo Polyzoides comments: ‘Golden Age is about feeling damned by the normalcy of life around youā contemplates the front man. āit’s about trying to have fun and break away from the mundane too. There is so much about modern life that feels unnatural, or that things could have happened differently, so the humour lightens things up a bit in an anti-defeatist way.ā
The Menzingers share ‘There’s No Place In This World For Me’
The Menzingers – ‘There’s No Place In This World For Me’
Finally in this section of our News Report this week comes, ‘There’s No Place In This World For Me’, from The Menzingers, which you can of course check out above!
The band commented, “This song is an anthem for anyone stuck between where they are and where they want to be.”
Scottish fellowship North Atlas have shared their brand new single, ‘Superego’!
āAccording to Freud, the Superego acts as our moral compass, what he calls the Id describes the drives for primal behaviour, while the regular Ego works to strike a balance between those two needs. The Superego strives for a sort of moral perfection, so I suppose that means thereās usually a cost for what you want. This song is about not paying for what you want by sacrificing your own values.ā
Leon Hunter – Vocals
Bellwether – ‘fallingshort’
Sydney based Pop Punk band Bellwether have shared their new single, ‘fallingshort’.
āfallingshortā is a pensive, emotionally driven pop punk track that is musically inspired by the works of electronic artist Porter Robinson, with further inspiration taken from 2000ās era emo pop punk. The song is a reflection on the decisions we wish we would have made in the past and the opportunities we feel have passed us by, while maintaining a determined outlook towards the futureā – Guitarist Heath Joukhadar
Lucky Hit – ‘Shoebox Memories’
UK based pop punk band Lucky Hit have shared a brand new single, ‘Shoebox Memories’
āShoebox Memories focuses on the perspective of someone looking back at a time shared between two people. It recalls some of the experiences they shared and questions if the importance of those experiences were indeed shared. We all have those things that we hold on to which to anyone else means little to nothing. Not to you though, for you they hold a core memory. They take you back to the past. These can be anything from a ticket stub to a mixtape of songs from a time in your life. They hold memories you wouldnāt trade for anything.ā – Vocalist Lawrence Murphy.
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report, and happy Halloween š!
It’s that time of the year where it’s not just the ghosts and ghouls haunting our News Report but also festival announcements for next Summer!
We start with Suffolk staple Latitude Festival which returns to Henham Park next July. This week saw the organisers reveal Pulp, Paolo Nutini and George Ezra will be headlining in the new year.
They’ll be joined on the bill by the likes of The Kooks, Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott, The Big Moon, Lightning Seeds, The Proclaimers and The Beths!
Yes, we have plenty of festival announcements in our News Report this week and next up is Neighbourhood Weekender!
Headlining the event will be Pulp, The Kooks and Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott. They’ll be joined by the likes of The Wombats, Ocean Colour Scene, The Enemy, Self Esteem, Sea Girls and Lottery Winners.
Scotland’s TRNSMT will return to Glasgow Green in July with the reformed Pulp also topping their bill. Also at the top of the line-up will be Sam Fender, The 1975, George Ezra, Kasabian and Royal Blood.
Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott and The Kooks are on this one too, as are Inhaler and others, with many more to come.
Following a successful debut this year, Live At Leeds will once again hold an ‘In The Park’ event at Temple Newsam Park in May.
The line-up includes headliners Two Door Cinema Club plus The Lathums, Everything Everything, The Big Moon, Black Honey, The Beths, Low Hummer and many more.
Speaking about their headline show at Live At Leeds: In The Park, Two Door Cinema Club said: “Excited to say weāll be coming to Live At Leeds in the park next year for the first time! Yoooooooooooorkshire!”
Everything Everything said: āAlways a pleasure to play in Yorkshire, always special to play Leeds, and where better than at this stalwart event? Come and see us Live At Leeds: In The Park!ā
Brooke Combe said: āCanāt wait for next year to be a part of Live at Leeds. See you all there for a boogie and a sing song š„°ā
Panic Shack said: “We canāt wait to play Live at Leeds in The Park!! Leeds has a special place in our hearts, we spent a few late nights here on our first ever tour with The Wytches. Weāre excited to bring back our new and improved dance routine and to just have a bit of a laugh with everyone really!ā
Hannah Wilson from Dolores Forever said: āWe canāt wait to play Leeds. Itās my home town, so it will be mega special. It will be our first time playing Leeds in 2023 and we want to bring big energy vibes!ā
Dan Mawer from Low Hummer said: āWeāre chuffed to be a part of Live at Leeds: In The Park! The festival has a brilliant mix of well established names alongside exciting new artists, all taking place in a truly beautiful setting.
We loved attending last yearās event so weāre honoured to get the chance to play it in 2023. Itāll be really rewarding to take part in an event that will emulate the lovely sense of community we witnessed at this yearās festival.ā
Speaking about Live At Leeds: In The Park 2023, Festival Promoter Joe Hubbard said:
āAfter such an incredible first year in 2022, weāre delighted to be returning to Temple Newsam for Live At Leeds: In The Park 2023! Bringing together bonafide festival headliners such as Two Door Cinema Club alongside some of the best in modern indie/alternative music – itās going to be an unforgettable day and the perfect summer party not only full of singalongs left, right and centre but also loads of opportunities to discover your next favourite artist.
Itās what we do best at Live At Leeds and we canāt wait to welcome everyone back for an even bigger and even better Live At Leeds: In The Park in May. Catch ya down the front!ā
Lytham Festival also returns in 2023 and this week organisers shared the line-up including headliners Jamiroquai, George Ezra, Sting, Lionel Ritchie, Motley Crue and Def Leppard.
Also on the bill are the likes of Blondie and Kaiser Chiefs.
The run of festival announcements in our News Report gets a little heavier now with the 5th Anniversary of Stonedead Festival set to host headliners Blue Oyster Cult.
Also playing will be Therapy?, The Answer, King King, Mason Hill and more.
Following a successful inaugural event this year, Firestorm Festival is back in Manchester next year with a line-up including Royal Republic, Kris Barras Band, Black Spiders, The Virginmarys, Hollowstar, Scruffy Bear and many more!
Bowling For Soup frontman Jaret Reddick will bring his new country project to the UK in December with shows announced this week in London and Birmingham.
Hundred Reasons return with new single ‘Glorious Sunset’
Hundred Reasons – ‘Glorious Sunset’
We move our News Report on now to the best new releases from the past week and we start off with the spectacular return of Hundred Reasons.
The band this week announced their first new album in 15 years! ‘Glorious Sunset’ will be released on February 24th, and you can check out the title track above.
Lead singer Colin Doran says of the first writing session; āI came away from that session not just feeling closer to the other guys, having not seen them for some time, but thinking the music was f****** awesome. We all looked at each other and knew it was a go.ā
He continues about the single: āWhen we started writing again it was really important that we did not go back to any material that had been cut previously. It all had to be completely new. We started writing just before Covid and got together sporadically as and when we could to write and demo which was not our usual way. We would normally be in a room together for the most part but this time it was not always possible. Larry and I would write, The Andy and Larry would write and then I would join the session later in the day (I have a day job) but we were all super happy with what was coming out. This was a deal breaker for all as if we were putting out new material it had to be amazing.
Glorious Sunset came about from an instrumental idea from The Andy which was nearly complete minus any vocal ideas. The lyrics for the song completely changed from the demo version to the recorded version as within that space of time my mother passed away after a 4-year battle with cancer. She had gone into remission twice previously and it come back again but this time it would be terminal. The title of the song took on a new meaning as the song talks about being relieved that someone you love is no longer suffering. The sunset refers to the light that many people say they see when they die.
During recording, Larry started playing around with synths and effects that added more to the song but by the time all of the music was recorded, no one in the band knew that the lyrics had changed so it ended up being an emotionally draining session in the studio that day. In all lots of lyrics changed during that time period as it brought on a new perspective which shaped the narrative of the material.”
āThis album isnāt something we felt we had to do. We simply arrived at a position where the music was so good that it was something we needed to do.ā
Following the release of their latest album, ‘I Don’t Belong Anywhere’, October Drift this week shared the video for ‘Lost Without You’, which you can of course check out above.
Regarding āLost Without Youā frontman Kiran Roy says,Ā āIt’s a song about heartbreak and helplessness. Inspired by a long-distance relationship, with my girlfriend living over 400 miles away in Scotland. Itās about missing loved ones and the struggle of being apart.ā
Book news closes out our News Report this week as Idlewild have announced details of a new limited edition publication entitled ‘Passing Places’.
Roddy Woomble says:
āInitially, we had an idea of putting something together to commemorateĀ The Remote PartĀ tour dates – a programme or a journal, something fans of the band would love to read and have. It would be made in a similar style to Tomās beautifully designed journal Gold Flake Paint, somewhere between a magazine, a journal, a novella and a photo book. Something different and personal.
The journal acts almost like a souvenir programme for the 20th AnniversaryĀ Remote PartĀ shows, particularly for those who travelled up to Ullapool in September, as primarily that is where the journal is set.Ā
This idea appealed to me enormously, so Tom accompanied the band up to the Highlands for ourĀ The Remote PartĀ show in Ullapool, close to where the album was written. As we got chatting on the journey, at the gig and the following day driving around the Highlands, it became clear to both of us that this writing collaboration could be explored in many different ways, not necessarily just about one album.
This is a great writing project for me, working with an experienced writer like Tom, making something special for Idlewild fans all about an album that means a great deal to me, but also to Tom – a journey from two different perspectives.ā
Ahead of their tour supporting Pussy Riot, Brighton’s Ä ENN have shared their new single, ‘Rohmeresse’.
On the song, vocalist Leona Farrugia said, āIāve often felt a pressure running through everyday life: a pressure to be productive whilst being true to oneself. Modern life can be very dissociative and small tasks become a real burden to uphold. I wanted to capture these thoughts through the track, whereby these emotions gradually build to a point of ecstasy.ā
MOSKITO – ‘Sweet Fruit’
Following the breath-taking launch of MOSKITO towards the end of 2021, they now return with their brand-new single āSweet Fruitā.
“Sweet Fruits lyrics portray how easy it is to play away in a relationship, with all the distractions in todayās society. Itās unwieldy temptation at the push of a button. Is it too sweet? What a waste it is.ā – Front man Jake Rudd.
Pollyanna Blue – ‘Haunted’
Bristol-based alt-rock two-piece Pollyanna Blue reveal their latestĀ single āHauntedā.
Speaking of the inspiration for the song, lyricist and vocalist Zoe Collins says, āIn this song trauma is depicted as an unforgiving evil spirit that will come at you at night and relentlessly try to tear you down. Ā The impactful delivery of the lyrics harnesses the real range of emotions of someone experiencing immense feelings of emptiness, sadness and anger.
The lyric ālike a headacheā depicts the side effects of dealing with large and repetitive amounts of trauma and stress to the brain, painting an unpleasant experience for the person being Haunted by their own predicament.ā
Welcome to another edition of our weekly music News Report. We are starting this week off with our new release section and the brand new single from Rammstein!
Yes the German metal gods returned this week with new music in the form of ‘Zeit’. The video is typically Rammstein-esque, and you can click here to watch on Youtube!
We continue our new release section of our News Report with the new single from Papa Roach, ‘Cut The Line’. You can check out the video to the track above which arrives ahead of their latest album.
‘Ego Trip’ will be released on April 8th and you can pre-order your copy here.
Full Pelt Music puts a great deal of effort into highlighting the best new music through our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist and Podcast. One band we’ve featured previously on said playlist is Thumper!
This week saw the band release their latest track, ‘Fear of Art’, which you can listen to above. The song comes ahead of their debut album, ‘Delusions of Grandeur’ which arrives March 18th.
Another band to feature on our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist previously is BERRIES. This week saw the band debut their new single ‘Wall of Noise’, which you can check out above.
Staying with new releases and this week saw The Kooks debut new single and video ‘Jesse James’. You can watch the video above.
The track comes ahead of new album, ’10 Tracks to Echo in the Dark’ which arrives July 22nd.
Starring the British model, Lottie Moss (half sister of the iconic, Kate Moss) – the video sees Lottie dancing and playing guitar in a futuristic, space-like bedroom setting.
Lottie comments on starring in the video, āIt was so fun to be involved in this, Iāve never been able to live out my main character dream before so this was really cool for me to do! I have loved The Kooks since I was younger so that made it even more special!ā
Frontman Luke Pritchard comments on the track and video, āReally excited to release āJessie Jamesā, itās a song about not always trying to prove yourself and losing the ego. We are so thrilled to have the amazing Lottie Moss to bring the song to life in her retro future bedroom floating through space, she really elevated the euphoria of the song with her performance! Check it out nowā
Crows debuted new single ‘Garden of England’ this week which you can watch the video for above.
The track will feature on new album, ‘Beware Believers’ which is out April 1st!
Singer James Cox explains, “This is straight-up our Brexit anthem. Donāt get me wrong, I couldn’t care less which way you voted, your vote, your choice. I just hated how much Brexit had become so ingrained in our day to day life. First thing I’d hear about when I woke up and the last thing Iād read before I went to sleep at night. It became all people spoke about. āGarden of Englandā is more of a comment about the divisiveness it caused, splitting families, friends, widening the north-south divide and empowering nationalism. Public figures’ ability to lie publicly and not be held accountable, it’s just dangerous dog-whistle politics that doesn’t belong in the UK.”
Another band with a new album on the way is Sunflower Bean, who release ‘Headful of Sugar’ on May 6th!
This week they debuted new single ‘Roll The Dice’, the video of which you can watch above.
An indictment of the so-called American Dream, ‘Roll The Dice’ was written about how many young adults now need side-hustles to secure their futures. The band explains, āAlmost everyone we know struggles with money. The traditional routes towards success and stability in America have severely narrowed. The only way to get ahead is to take big risks and roll the dice.ā
We move on now to the latest tour announcements as our News Report continues.
Legendary act The Prodigy this week announced that they will be returning to the stage this summer with a full UK Tour. The run of dates will end with three dates at Brixton Academy.
The tour coincides with the 25th anniversary of ‘The Fat Of The Land’, and you can grab remaining tickets here.
Another tour to be announced this week will see The Menzingers hitting the UK and Europe in October. Along for the ride will be support acts Joyce Manor and Sincere Engineer.
Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons to hit the road to play Motorhead!
Motorhead fans will be in for a treat this May as Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons this week revealed a special tour. The band has revealed they will be playing play Motorhead sets across the UK.
You Me At Six announce support for 10 Years of Sin shows
After two weeks packed full of festival announces, our News Report only has two to report on this week and we start with the Slam Dunk related You Me At Six shows in Leeds and Hatfield.
Celebrating 10 Years of ‘Sinners Never Sleep’, the band will now be joined by The Hunna, Yonaka, Holding Absence and Kid Kapichi!
First up are fuzz-rock five-piece Pit Pony and their new single ‘Black Tar’.
Speaking about the track, singer Jackie Purver explains āItās quite literally about anxiety, about putting the work in to improve things and going back to the beginning. Feeling like you canāt get anything right and youāll feel like that forever. The whole track being the same riff throughout, and driven by the constant throbbing bass, really conveys the feeling of that constant cycle. That treadmill you feel like you canāt get off.ā
Jackie continues, āOf course you do get off, and you can feel better, but it takes time and work. The jagged and garagey sound lends itself to the stark melody and lyrics. Itās not one to overthink. By the end of the song Iām telling myself to snap out of it and keep going.ā
‘CAROUSEL’ – REMINDERS
Next is the new single from Isle of Wight indie punks Reminders, ‘Carousel’!
Commenting on the track, front man Leo Dyke says: āāCarouselā is a song about telling people how you feel and looking for a sense of relief. Nearly everyday we are asked a variation of āhow are you?ā, and we all say āgoodā, and that made me think; what sort of chaos would ensue if we were honest? At the time I was desperate to be honest with somebody about how I felt, but I didnāt feel comfortable telling anybody āI need to ventā. This song is all the things I would have said if I felt as though I could have.ā
āThe genesis of the lyrics comes from a John Lennon song called āWatching the Wheelsā, except that song is pretty optimistic. āCarouselā is its angry step-child. Bottling all of my feelings only led to being pissed off with everybody anyway, and caused me to fall out with the people around me. That’s what the bridge is about: weāre all too insecure to talk about how we feel, while being simultaneously too arrogant to concede, and once a row has gone too far, nobody is willing to stand down or rationalise, when all I was really looking for was someone to talk to.ā
‘CIGARETTE SMILE’ – THIS DAZE
Finally this week is the track ‘Cigarette Smile’ from Norwegian indie punks This Daze.
Regarding the single This Daze say, āāCigarette Smileā is the colourful person outside the pub with a cig between their lips. The song portrays adolescent themes of distant love together with the figurative and literal fear of meeting each other. The lyric āpick me up in your painted lifeā represents the wish of getting swept up by the romanticised picture you make upon meeting someone for the first time. If this image is flawed or genuine it does not matter for young adults taking chances. This song for us encapsulates the feelings of youth and being young. We feel that both the lyrics, the attitude of our performances and the urgency of the song reflects being young.ā
