Melbourne trio UFO Go have been capturing the attention of local audiences with their intoxicating blend of alt-rock, emo and 90’s indie sounds. Today they’ve released “Way Back When”, the first single from their upcoming album May Fear Never Stop You due out in 2023.
“Way Back When” acknowledges the past and attempts to move on. It has a relatable confessional quality, with strong angular guitars and an upbeat melody giving it a degree of optimism.
“Maybe it’s enough to be okay with who I am.
Who I was was all I need to know who I’ll never be again”.
About the song, the band writes: “Emo never dies, it just starts paying rent – ‘Way Back When’ is a song about the mid-20s angst of coming to terms with who you are, and the death of the ego that makes your teen years and early-20s feel so apocalyptic. We learn to let go and forgive ourselves of the mistakes we made learning to be people, in the hope that we might go to bed one day and not remember the day we called our teacher mum, or the time we told a joke that made somebody cry.”
The band will be launching the single at the Workers Club in Fitzroy on the 26th of November. They promise to be playing most of the songs from their upcoming album. They have big plans for the show: “We’ve developed a set that delivers the experience of the album with interstitial tracks that expand on the themes of the songs, with spoken word segments written alongside the lyrics of the album, and a programmed lighting show to match.”.
“Way Back When” was recorded at their home studio in Melbourne. It was produced by Mike Miller (vocals, guitar). The drums were added at a mate’s home studio, with the mixing and mastering also being handled by Mike.
UFO Go released their first full-length LP nottoogoodthanks in 2018. The upcoming May Fear Never Stop You promises to be “an exploration of learning to be comfortable with your failures, your anxieties, and trying to figure out how to stop holding on so tightly.”
The video clip is a hoot. A little background on it from the band may help: “The video imagines a classic 60s/70s movie car chase, ala Bullitt, though what if cars were people too?? We hired some big strong men from the Melbourne Actors Facebook group to carry us around all day, and I don’t think one of them read the treatment before the day of the shoot – ‘you want me to do WHAT??”
Finally, to celebrate the release of “Way Back When”, the band has put together a playlist of songs that have given inspiration. There are some total classics there, and a few new ones, so do check it out.
UFO Go share the songs that inspired “Way Back When”
The 1975 – “Give Yourself a Try”
This song sounds like the future of rock music – it’s honest, it’s inventive, it’s referential, it’s fun, and it sounds like it was made by four people in a small room.
Paramore – “Ignorance”
Total singalong emo alt rock, everything we aspire to be.
The Smashing Pumpkins – “Cherub Rock”
If you want a tutorial on what alternative rock drumming, riffage, and songwriting can be, look no further than the Smashing Pumpkins.
Sigrid – “Strangers”
Sigrid is an absolute emo rockstar disguised as a dance-pop idol (for further evidence, see her collab with Bring Me The Horizon)
Rise Against – “Savior”
A great example of how powerful tempo changes can be.
Bowling For Soup – “1985”
An absolute classic with pop punk riffs and instantly memorable lyrics.
St. Vincent – “Los Ageless”
Drama! Electronic Drums! Passion! Distorted vocals! Evil stuff! Fuzzed out guitars!
Waterparks – “Crave”
One of the first bands in a long time to make Pop Punk sound fresh, Crave is a catchy singalong mosh pit banger with inventive use of synths and samples.
PVRIS – “My House”
Such a great combo of alt rock with dance synths and a massive hook.
Gorillaz – “Empire Ants”
The gradual shift from a pretty piano ballad to a face-melting dance track is just irresistible.
Avril Lavigne – “Sk8er Boi”
Admit it, you love it, and not ironically either.
Twenty One Pilots – “Jumpsuit”
One of Twenty One Pilots proper rock songs, the screaming breakdown at the end of the song is to die for.
Blur – “My Terracotta Heart”
The guitar in this track is incredible, and the vocals are melodically astonishing.
My Chemical Romance – “You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us In Prison”
The constant change in drum patterns and non-stop fills, mixed with the heavy melodic guitars, show how chaotic a song can be whilst still holding its form.
Lil Baby – “From Now On” (feat. Future)
I started listening to Lil Baby for a laugh and now I cannot stop.
Saosin – “Seven Years”
The drumming here is just unbelievable, as are the vocals. Nuts.
The Wombats – “Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves)”
The fast tempo and chanting chorus will always get you bouncing off the floor and evokes the feeling of being at a party.
Phoebe Bridgers – “Kyoto”
Another song titled after a Japanese city, another banger
Northlane – “4D”
One of Northlane’s coolest efforts, multiple layers of synths and drum machines make for a dark, cyberpunk banger.
LCD Soundsystem – “All My Friends”
If you made a playlist of every song ever made, this would be the last song on it.
