MAKEOUT
About
Fusing propulsive punk energy, stadium-size pop prowess, alternative sizzle, and a ball-busting sense of humor, Makeout play the soundtrack to the best night of your life. Think of the Massachusetts quartet—Sam Boxold [vocals, guitar], Tyler Young [guitar], Alex Lofton [bass], and Scott Eckel [drums]—as the illegitimate offspring of Paramore, All Time Low, and Steel Panther, and you’ll be halfway there.
All comparisons aside, Sam sums up the group’s 2017 full-length debut, The Good Life [Rise Records], best…
“The record sounds like a party,” exclaims the frontman. “There are so many different influences touching it, but it doesn’t feel like anybody’s uncomfortable. That’s the kind of party we like!”
Whether or not the last statement is true, Sam and Tyler met each other as high schoolers in the Northeast’s fertile underground music scene (we can confirm that for sure!). After a revolving door of projects, the two joined forces with Alex in Trophy Wives. The group built a serious local buzz, performing on the Massachusetts date of the Warped Tour and winning an Ernie Battle of The Bands judged by none other than iconic GRAMMY® Award-nominated producer John Feldmann [blink-182, Good Charlotte, Sleeping With Sirens].
Impressed by the boys, the studio guru signed them to a production deal. Joined by Australian drummer Scott, they settled on a new moniker, Makeout, and holed up at Feldmann’s home studio for a month in 2016 between dates supporting longtime heroes blink-182. Throughout this whirlwind, they collaborated with the likes of 5 Seconds of Summer’s Ashton Irwin and Calum Hood as well as legendary skinsman Travis Barker on what would become The Good Life.
“All of those influences are in the record,” Alex goes on. “There’s a diverse feel, because all of these people brought the best out of us.”
“John kept us on our toes,” Sam continues. “One of the biggest influences I felt was from his lyrical attitude. He’ll drive the flow of the vocalist in a very specific direction. He made my vocals sound a little more badass and real. It flowed in a way that there was never a stale moment.”
That holds true for all 12 songs. “Childish” bursts out of the gate on a guitar gallop punctuated by arena-ready percussion and an unshakable chant. “We wanted to write a song about how it feels to be a kid,” explains the singer. “It’s that freedom from jobs and bills. There’s not much drama. It touches on that.”
Meanwhile, the first single “Crazy” explodes into a massive refrain between hilarious hashtaggable admissions such as, “I’m in the studio in fucking Calabasas. The Kardashians live here” and “I can’t go back to working at McDonalds. Can’t afford any more of your Sephora addiction.”
“It’s a lighthearted take on girl trouble,” Sam smiles. “It could be extended to either gender. It resulted from a feel sesh talking about life.”
“Where’s My Charger?” surprises with a subtle twang, while “Blast Off” illuminates their knack for a hard-hitting and heavy hook.
Ultimately, everything is a part of The Good Life Makeout encourage…
“Being in a band and doing this professionally is something we’ve all really wanted for a long time,” Tyler leaves off. “To us, this is The Good Life. We hope everyone gets to live their version of it.”