Hi! Can you tell us about the inspiration behind “One More Shot”? What’s the story you’re trying to tell with this song?
A: “One More Shot” is essentially a thesis statement for Shower Beers. It’s a straightforward pop punk song about partying in New York City with a girl who is a bit on the wild side – clearly a topic that’s been done hundreds of times over in this genre. While the song isn’t pushing the envelope in any way from a narrative perspective, I really wanted to absolutely nail what it is I love about this genre from a production standpoint. So we slapped every device pop punk fanatics might want to utilize into this song- a fat guitar riff, call and responses, gang vocals, double-time, ska-time, and a cheeky blink-182 reference to ensure we really jumped the shark.
How did the collaboration with Australian punk band SoSo come about for this song?
A: With our new EP “Miracle on 34th & 3rd,” I was really focused on finding collaborations for a few reasons. Adding additional voices to each song brought unique textures I feel elevate the project as a whole and will make for a more interesting listening experience. It’s validating in a way as these are all artists I’m big fans of, so to partner with them on our own project was a joy. I also personally don’t LOVE singing in a studio environment. I’m sure with time I’ll get over that, but I’m very self-critical of my vocal performance and that does dampen the mood a bit when tracking – to know I had some super talented vocalists to help break up the track helped me a ton mentally. Lastly, it’s great from a marketing perspective as we get to both dip into each other’s audiences upon each release which is mutually beneficial.
My introduction to SoSo in particular was pretty unique. I discovered them during Covid and just loved the zaniness in some of their tracks. Our energies were pretty similar as they too are very into having fun via music. I had been chatting with Doug from Coe Hill on locking in one last feature for the EP and he offered to make the introduction with Rhys and the rest of the SoSo gang, which was very kind of him. Rhys has such a unique voice so I was thrilled to share “One More Shot” with him. I’ve joked that the song is an international smash as the listening analytics are so diverse between our fanbases; it’s been a fun rollout.
The lyrics of “One More Shot” seem to tell a story of a fast-paced, intense relationship. Can you share any personal experiences that influenced these lyrics?
A: This might come as a relief to some of the folks I’ve been with, but “One More Shot” isn’t written about any one specific girl – it’s more so a love letter to my time in New York thus far. The time spent partying with your friends in dirty basement bars in the Lower East Side or stumbling through Williamsburg as you try and beat the sunrise, it really fills my heart and reminds me how much fun life can be to live. That feeling influenced “One More Shot,” and I like to think the pop punk genre lends itself well to supporting stories like this.
How do you feel “One More Shot” represents the not-so-serious pop-punk spirit that Shower Beers embodies?
A: Obviously the story matches our mantra well. We’re taking shots, hanging out in questionable bars, spilling into the streets as we search for the nearest tattoo parlor that’ll accept walk-ins, that energy is what Shower Beers is all about. I also try to ensure the production of our songs matches nicely as well. For example, we allude via some clean guitar parts throughout the song that we’re going to eventually reference blink-182’s “Feeling This” in the bridge. The Dr. Melfi sample from The Sopranos was meticulously chosen as well – clearly “let’s get back to that gabagool” is a silly line, but we make sure to then repeat a section of the first verse after this callout. So it helps the joke land since that sample technically does serve a purpose as the introduction to a callback reference.
The song fuses elements of easycore and ska. Can you explain how you incorporated these genres into the track and why you chose to do so?
A: Per the previous answer, the 2nd verse in this song is pretty tongue-in-cheek. I think the jump we do here from that punk blast beat into a ska groove is so hamfisted, it’s like we’re all in on the joke. But it works in my opinion and that’s also kind of the joke. Shower Beers is meant to put out fun music that doesn’t take itself too seriously, but still should be catchy. I feel like the melding we do in the second verse works in a silly way and honors that vibe.
How does “One More Shot” set the tone for your upcoming EP?
A: “Miracle on 34th & 3rd” is 4 songs plus an intro, and “One More Shot” was always going to be the lead-off single. Other tracks on this EP may have better choruses, better verses, and better bridges, but “One More Shot” is the most quintessential Shower Beers song in my opinion. I felt it incorporates every element our listeners have come to expect nicely and does the best job bridging the gap from our last release “The Pregame Properly EP.” We definitely branch out way more on this new EP, but I wanted to kick it off with something familiar.
Can you share any memorable moments or challenges you faced during the recording process of “One More Shot”?
A: Too many to count LOL. I always try to be as prepared as possible coming into the studio but without fail you will always hit a speed bump. Due to schedule differences, we had to get guitars totally tracked at the start – typically we’d track a scratch guitar, then record vocals until my voice got tired, then fleshed out the songs, and then circle back and finish vocals. However our guitarist Brian Staples (of the indie-pop project speaksoftly) only had so many days off of work. So I was trying to get vocals done for all our tracks in one go towards the end of our session. By the time we got to “One More Shot” I had already finished two other songs and my voice was getting a bit worn. Trying to finish up that mile-a-minute 2nd verse was definitely painful – I kept being either a bit too sharp or flat. This actually resulted in “One More Shot” having an uncredited feature beyond SoSo – we had Kevin from We Demand Parachutes in the studio that day, and I was so psyched-out by the end of tracking. We still needed to get the “Feeling This” sample in, so I asked Kevin if he just wanted to lay it down instead of me. We slapped some filters over his voice but it’s still Kevin which is a neat little studio tidbit. The final mix sounds great (thanks to our producer Rob Freeman) but I personally can hear and remember how tired my voice was which is a bit funny.
How do you think “One More Shot” reflects the evolution of Shower Beers’ sound since your debut EP “The Pregame Properly”?
A: Production-wise, we’ve clearly taken a big step forward. I felt way more comfortable knowing what songwriting devices were needed in this song compared to our first go-around. Whether it’s a callback guitar riff, harmonies, backing vocals, synth parts, whatever, it really helped having a full EP already under my belt and knowing what to expect during the writing and recording process. We certainly kept what makes Shower Beers “Shower Beers” in these songs, but the step forward in quality I feel is evident.
Can you give us a sneak peek into what fans can expect from the rest of the “Miracle on 34th and 3rd” EP?
A: I’ve spent a ton of this interview talking about how silly Shower Beers is, but in late January/early February we’re gonna drop our most serious song to date. It’s way more indie and I hope a bit of a flex on how much range this band actually has. Our bread and butter is always going to be high-energy big riff punk-fests, but Shower Beers has a few other tricks up its sleeves as well.