by alex grainger
photo courtesy of broadside
Broadside dropped their latest single “One Last Time” on July 12th. We had the chance to talk to lead singer Oliver Baxxter about the electric pop-rock song. “One Last Time” comes as a shift in the mentality of the band, as Oliver notes, “I’m not living for anyone else anymore.” “One Last Time” sends the message to seize every opportunity and to show fans Broadside is still “their band.” The single drops alongside the “One Last Time” music video and the band’s first full US headline tour. Read more of our conversation with Oliver about all things “One Last Time” and Broadside below!
Can you tell us what “One Last Time” is about?
Oliver: “It’s about wanting to go back to a moment, any moment where it felt stable. I think everyone is starting to feel the pressure of losing two years off of their life with the madness of the world, socially, economically and emotionally. We’re all tired.”
What was the creative process behind “One Last Time?”
Oliver: “Working with Andrew Baylis was a dream come true. He’s a fantastic producer, so just working out the song with him felt very mature for us. We had the song written and he came through and provided the glue.”
“One Last Time” comes as a shift in your mentality as a band. One where you note, “I just want to be me.” How will this manifest in your future releases? What can we expect?
Oliver: “I’m not living for anyone else anymore. I want to be a vessel for creativity. Fuck the ego and everything else.”
This growth and shift in mentality, what was the process like? Was it separate from creating music or was the process blurred and blended together?
Oliver: “We all experienced hardships throughout our history in this band, it tears you down. Personally, I had a few huge life altering moments that tried to keep my head under water but I want to use my voice… the music to persevere.”
How have you grown as a band through the creation of “One Last Time?”
Oliver: “I think we realize that as we approach our fourth album, we have to make it a point of ‘why the fuck are we still doing this?’ since we haven’t ‘blown up’ per-say.”
What is the message you are sending to listeners of “One Last Time?”
Oliver: “The importance of making the absolute most out of any opportunity because it doesn’t always last. It won’t always come back.”
How would you describe your sound? How has it evolved throughout your music career to now with this latest release?
Oliver: “We’re trying to be sonically impactful! If people see us for the first time or the 100th, I want to be consistent. As far as genre, I feel like we’re evolving into a more modern pop rock band for sure. Moving slightly away from fully ‘pop punk.’”
Why did you decide to release “One Last Time” as your first original material post your hit 2020 album Into The Raging Sea?
Oliver: “Thank you for calling it a hit album! We wrote The Raging Sea when I was very much drowning in life, so now I want to show that growth. Showing life and growth is incredibly important to me in the music moving forward.”
You guys also dropped the music video for “One Last Time.” What was the creative process behind translating the song into a visual piece?
Oliver: “We just wanted a straight up high energy video. Something digestible to show the actual band playing their instruments.”
What was your reaction to seeing the finished music video?
Oliver: “Given we were under a tight time constraint, I’m incredibly happy with how it came out. Our friend Evan who also films Magnolia Park’s videos really came through.”
What are you most excited about upon playing “One Last Time” live during your first full US headline tour?
Oliver: “To see how it translates. Do they like it on AND off the internet? A lot of bands forget that they have two jobs… and they don’t always overlap.”
What are you all most proud of upon the release of “One Last Time?”
Oliver: “I want everyone who has ever doubted me to say damn, that fool is still going. And to the fans, I want them to see that we are still their band. Theirs.”