by emily harris
photo courtesy of go for gold
Arkansas-based band Go For Gold is a testament that the pop punk scene is constantly evolving. The five-piece is known for catchy hooks and transparent lyricism, as seen in their newest release, their EP, Color Me. Following the release of their album Daydream in 2019, the band is back and better than ever. Singles from the EP, including “At Home,” “Green Light,” and “Tone,” have each surpassed twenty-five thousand streams on Spotify. We sat down with the band and talked about their newest release.
Congrats on the release of your newest EP, Color Me! What was it like to release such an extensive body of work during an unprecedented time in the music industry?
Go For Gold: “It was exciting to share this release because of how definitive we feel this EP is for our sound. The pandemic definitely stunted our growth and being unable to play shows really kept us from pushing it the way we normally would. Artists rely on social media content and shows to interact with people. When social interaction is limited in every way, it becomes increasingly more difficult to remain consistent with those interactions and create relationships. We believe that good music will still find ways to circulate though. The longer this release has been out, the more outlets have picked up a song or two and shared them. We just found out yesterday about one of our songs being on rotation on a SiriusXM station.”
Can you tell us about how the writing and recording process of Color Me differed from that of your past album and EPs?
GFG: “I think it just felt more natural and refined. Our independent album that released last year was us owning what we were doing and deciding to jump off of that cliff and see what happened. With the EP, we already knew we could create a full release. So, we focused more on quality and direction. We wanted to create an EP where all of the songs were consistent in their feel and had a purpose. A lot of ideas didn’t make the cut.”
Your lyrics are known for being a testament to your self-awareness and honesty as artists. How has being so transparent affected the following you have now?
GFG: “If we weren't transparent, I would be surprised if anyone cared about what we’re doing. It seems natural to write about how we feel and what we’ve been through as well. I couldn’t imagine writing any other way. We are here with the intention of connecting and creating relationships with people whether that’s in person or through our music. I think that the entire alternative music scene relies on that transparency as well. It’s a safe haven for anyone who needs it.”
You released the first track of the EP, “At Home,” as a single. What led you to start the newest era and the EP itself with this track?
GFG: “We felt that ‘At Home’ was a good mix between what our album sounded like and the more alt-rock/punk rock influenced songs on Color Me. It’s a short and sweet song that has a very direct lyric style. It also is very upbeat which sets the tone for the rest of our EP.”
What song off the EP are you most excited to bring into a live-space? Why?
GFG: “I think that ‘Tone’ will end up being the most memorable. It will be the hardest for us to pull off but the song builds so well and ends powerfully. I hope people respond to this song the way that we feel it deserves. ‘Loser’ could also be a fun one live. It’s just an upbeat, exciting song. It’s one you can bang your head to and easily sing along even if you don’t normally listen to us.”
How has being rooted in Arkansas affected the pop-punk scene you have found yourselves in?
GFG: “There’s not one. Funny enough, there was one other pop-punk band before we started. Both our drummer and our vocalist were in it. That local group ended and we formed. People have been hearing us and referring to the ‘pop-punk’ scene but we don’t have one. There’s just us. I don’t think any other active groups claim to be pop-punk or even punk rock in Little Rock. Little Rock, Arkansas is relatively very small compared to other ‘big’ cities though. We have a few hardcore bands, a handful of metalcore acts, some true punk/emo groups, and so on. We all are part of the same scene here, I feel like. It’s not out of the ordinary for us to be on a bill with a hardcore band, indie band, and metalcore band all in the same night. I think it being a smaller scale community has allowed all of us to become one large collective as compared to having a bunch of individual scenes. We all support each other here and understand that what’s good for one of us is good for the rest of us. I think that quality of community can get lost in larger cities.”
You’ve been featured on a multitude of Spotify-curated playlists. As you continue to expand your name as a band, how does it feel like to be amongst other household names like New Found Glory and All Time Low?
GFG: “It’s definitely cool for the people in charge of Apple and Spotify playlists to consider our music to be at a similar level of quality to these very successful acts. I don’t think it changes what we do in any way but it’s reassuring to know that we’re on the right track.”
What can we expect from you in the future, both while maintaining social-distancing and when shows eventually start up again?
GFG: “We’re already about halfway done writing for our next release. No matter what the world throws at us next, we’re going to keep moving forward. We’ve got touring opportunities on hold with some pretty awesome bands. As soon as shows become safe again, we’ll be on the road. Until then, we’ll keep making music and videos and whatever else.”