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The big review: Damnation Festival 2024
What happened when Nails, Gatecreeper, Cradle Of Filth and a ton more brought the noise to Manchester for the biggest Damnation Festival yet.
Exclusive: Listen to Live Well's energetic new track, Cool Bands.
New York pop-punk four-piece Live Well are striving to live their best life. With the band name tattooed on guitarist and lead vocalist Paul Masbad, as well as guitarist and vocalist Max Johl, they’re constantly reminded of their main goal: to be happy, even if it kills them.
This desire for contentment may lie at the core of every pop-punk band, but Live Well highlight it hard in their insecure new single Cool Bands, a sonically-upbeat but poignantly honest declaration of unshakable envy. Although it’s full of frustration (“All of my friends are in cool bands/And maybe I just wanna be like them (be like them)/All of my friends are doing cool things/And maybe if I tried, I could do them, too (do them, too)”), it's also powered by catchy riffs and fun rhythms, illustrating the band's effort in to alleviate their discontent.
“This is a song I wrote about Max -- and other people in our local scene I was friends with -- and how I looked up to them as musicians and artists in bands,” explains Paul. “It comes from a place of wanting to be included in the community and wanting to feel a part of something bigger than yourself. It’s one of my favorites to play because it reminds me about everyone I share the stage with, and how I’ve looked up to them for so long.”
Check out our exclusive stream of Cool Bands below:
This track is a part of Live Well's forthcoming debut Perfectly Temporary, out September 6th. Paul describes the album as “a collection of songs highlighting moments from the past; many you want to move away from but will never forget.”
Take a look at the artwork for the album below:
Live Well worked with Ace Enders of The Early November and Nik Bruzzese of Man Overboard to conceive the nostalgic LP. It’s available for pre-order now. You can check out the track listing below:
1. Regret
2. Beach Time
3. Bed
4. Drunk
5. Coked Out
6. Lying
7. Broad Street
8. Seeds
9. No Escape
10. Drive-Thru
11. Cardigan
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