Pool Kids

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Recently, I was able to schedule a Zoom call with Christine Goodwyne (vocals/guitar) and Andy Anaya (guitars) of Pool Kids, ahead of the release of their great new album called Easier Said Than Done, out digitally via Epitaph on August 15th. In this interview, I asked Pool Kids about the unique artwork behind their new LP, what they did differently during their creative songwriting process, and which songs were the trickiest to pen on Easier Said Than Done. Pre-orders are up for the vinyl here.

Thank you both for your time today! Pool Kids are going to be releasing your third album called Easier Said Than Done. So what is your range of emotions now that this is coming out on August 15, and on a legendary record label of Epitaph?

Christine: I think this is, for me personally, this is kind of my favorite part in the album cycle. It kind of feels like Christmas Eve or something! It’s the time before things, hopefully, go well. But, yeah, it feels like most of the hard work is done and now it’s just the excitement period.

Andy: I feel great about everything. I mean, it was a long road to get here, for sure, as most album writing and recording, and finding a label processes are…But, it’s really crazy that we ended up on Epitaph, or rather that they were excited to work with us. I grew up listening to all the classic Epitaph releases. So to count a band that I’m in, among those <in the> canon is insane.

That’s awesome. And, yeah, you’re absolutely right about Epitaph. They’ve been great to work with from my perspective. So, I can only imagine the feelings that you guys would have to be working with such a legendary label. What has the promotional process been like leading up to the record?

Christine: Mostly just music videos. We’re working on our second one right now. I’m actually in the middle of trying to help edit it right now, and we’re really up against the clock because it’s coming out very soon. But yeah, music videos and then, honestly, just trying to kind of play the social media game a little bit. Which feels like pulling teeth sometimes. But I would say that as far as promotion, that’s mostly where we’re at.

And do you have any shows leading up to the release of the record, or anything special planned for the record release date?

Christine: We are trying to figure out a release event…We’re trying to work out details for something. That was kind of one of our major regrets of the last record, that we didn’t do any sort of release show. So this time, we at least wanted to be together as a band for it, if anything, at the least, because we’re a long distance band.

So I’ve listened to the advance of the record, and I share the same enthusiasm as Epitaph. It’s really strong both musically and lyrically.

Christine: Thank you!

No problem. What was the easiest song to write versus the hardest song to write on this record?

Christine: Well, there’s songs that were easy, getting it to the main skeleton of it, but then there’s also songs that maybe were easy for me to write, but then figuring out the actual full band arrangement was hard. So it’s kind of funny how that works, but I don’t know what was most difficult to write. There’s a song called, “Tinted Windows,” where I think, changed a lot. “Tinted Windows” started out as a very moody, slow, kind of dreary type of song, and we just turned it into a full on, big rock song, which I think is cool. It’s one of my favorites on the record, actually.

Christine: And then “Sorry, Not Sorry,” started out as very synth-heavy, and then brought it to the band, and then it had a phase where it was this kind of a slacker-rock thing. And then we ended up nixing that, and just kind of going back to the original vision. So there’s definitely songs that had these like journeys of there’s like, different versions of it floating around. And then, I guess, another example, the song “Exit Plan,” which is the last song on the record, actually started out acoustic, and it didn’t even have a chorus! So if you can picture that song, except it doesn’t have a chorus and it’s acoustic, then we have another example of us just turning it into a big rock song. And then in the studio, we had this key change “crisis,” where we couldn’t figure out what key we wanted it to be in. And then we also couldn’t figure out whether or not we wanted there to be a mid-song key change. And it was just…exhausting.

Is that typically how you do your songwriting, as far as how you described it?

Christine: Yeah, I would say it was very similar to how we got into the groove on our last record, and the sort of flow of things. And I would say it was very similar to last time, except even more streamlined, because now we’ve been able to practice the process a lot more.

Andy: Yeah, it’s typically been like Christine has a demo of a song, or maybe a verse and a chorus of a song, and she brings it to <the rest of the band>. And then, we get together, on the floor in the practice space, and everybody has sort of thought at home where they think the song should go. Or if Christine has a chord progression or something, maybe I suggest a different chord to resolve, or take the lead over it. Or, maybe she has an idea for a lead, and we work together on that. Usually, Christine brings in a really intricate, <almost> illustration, and the band colors it in.

Okay, that’s a good analogy for that. Let’s talk about the album artwork…

Christine:The <cover> photo? So the main image has been manipulated and what you’re seeing is actually a film photo that Andy took. When did you take it, Andy?

Andy: I took it on tour. And I want to say it was in a tunnel through a mountain area. I wish I could figure out <where I took it>. I’ve been trying to put it together, but some of my film negatives are just not in a very structured or ordered way right now. But I believe it’s either going through like a mountain in Pittsburgh, or going underneath the tunnel to the bay near Baltimore.

Okay, that’s basically where I’m from.

Andy: Oh, very cool! So you’re very aware of that area. It’s weird. When you drive more on one tour than most people do in a year, it’s crazy. But yeah, it’s either one of those places. I took the picture while I was driving. Very stupid…Don’t do that. But yeah, I showed it to Christine at some point, and she was like, “I could kind of see that being a record cover…”Cut to it getting some weird, color-changing stuff on it and just some tasteful edits

Christine: Yeah, I think it’s a good nod to…there’s at least a handful of songs on the record that reference touring, and just what our lives have been like for the past few years. And so I do kind of like that. It’s a van shot, and I think it’s a good nod to those lyrics, or themes. And I also just like that someone in the band took it. It just feels like it’s…

Yeah, yours? And then it becomes everyone else’s next month, right?

Christine: Yeah!

So, can you talk a little bit more about the vinyl packaging behind, for not only the album cover, but when people get the record from Epitaph, what are you most excited for them to see?

Andy: I feel like I don’t remember what the vinyl <packaging> looks like…<Laughter> I think that we settled on a gatefold for the vinyl.

Christine: Yeah, that sounds right. I think I’m most excited for that vinyl packaging <itself>. Also, we feel like, or I feel like our last record, it was kind of fun. Well, I guess this is sad, but it was cool to see a lot of people say…I think the most common comment I get about our last record, at our shows, people will come up to me to talk about it and say it’s their “divorce record”, or it got them through their divorce. Like, specifically divorce. It’s not ever a breakup. They say this is my divorce record, and it was cool to see what landed with people, and that’s what people were connecting with and relating to. And I hope that maybe it made them feel less alone, or something. So I’m excited to see what aspects of it end up connecting with people. So yeah, I’m most excited for that.

Andy: I’m excited for people to just see where we’ve evolved as far as the actual musicianship. There’s a lot of twists and turns, and I feel like the production itself is like, sort of like the fifth member of the band. Mike Vernon Davis, who we worked with on the last record, also produced this one, and I feel like he really helped us find ourselves. And he knows when it’s time for certain things to shine, and when we need to all be focused on delivering the lyrics and stuff. So, yeah, it’s a really fun ride. Obviously, I’m biased because I’m part of making it, but I think we really strive to make something that’s like a start to finish, like a movie of an LP. And the pathway is really interesting and fun.

Yeah, it’s a heck of a ride, I have to say, from start to finish. I’ve listened to it at least two or three times now, and I don’t want to overplay it before everyone else gets to have it in their hand…But it is fresh in my mind as far as your guys’ songwriting improvements and everything like that. So you both really did a stellar, stellar job here.

Pool Kids: Thank you, so much.

So once the album comes out and it becomes theirs, you mentioned some of the key connections that people have having on tour, so what are gauging from the singles that have been released so far on the fans’ perspective on the direction that you’re taking?

Christine: I have been really relieved to see how open people are to, I mean, I don’t think it’s that much of a deviation, but on “Easier said than done,” The lead single is a lot, I think poppier, or I guess more pop-leaning. I mean, it still has a big rock ending, but at least on the front half, it feels a lot poppier. And there’s a lot of people who have been with us since our debut LP, which is very bare bones,and tapping guitar. It’s just a lot more like math rock, so you never know how people are gonna take the change, I guess. But yeah, I was just super relieved. I thought people might hear a vocoder in the first two seconds and just think it’s… I don’t know, one thing or another. But people have been really vibing with it, as far as I can see.

That’s what we’re hearing too. There’s a lot of good buzz about it on our music community Chorus. So, I truly hope the record does really well for you guys.

Christine: Thanks. We hope that too!

And I’m sure Epitaph would be happy with that too! <Laughter>

Andy: So as I said, it was a long and winding road to get to where we’re at now. There’s a lot of relief already, and once the whole thing is out for people to enjoy, I feel like we’re all gonna really breathe a major sigh of relief.

Absolutely. Any last words for your fans?

Christine: As far as important information, everything is always on our website. We have an email list too if they don’t want to have to depend on the algorithm to find out when we’re gonna be in their town. So yeah, I would just point <our fans> there and encourage them to please come out to shows. Because that’s when we feel like we really get to connect with our fans. So yeah, come out to a show!

Great stuff! I hope to make it to a show sometime soon, too.

Pool Kids: Thanks, Adam!

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