In support of their forthcoming EP ‘Head Under Water’, Oxford Pop Punk Sextet Better Than Never have released the video for track ‘Learning To Swim’.
Vocalist James Harris said: “It’s a track which particularly resonated with all of us. We decided the concept would be that our friend Keiran having a bit of a tough time, which he decides to remedy by smashing stuff up. You have no idea how much fun we had trashing a Macbook, a bass and riding a bike into a swimming pool.” Discussing the EP, recorded with Ian Sadler at Emeline Studios and set to be released via Fox Records on December 2, Harris said: “Head Under Water covers the idea of how dealing with depression and anxiety can sometimes just feel like you are drowning in a sea of hopelessness, the ball and chain in the imagery showing how you can feel chained down by those struggles and anchored at rock bottom.”
Serving as the follow up to February’s debut Homemade Hero, you may recognise the superhero character taking centre stage on its cover, as Harris explains: “represents the concepts of coping, even when it seems you’re about to drown, in a more literal sense.” Completed by vocalist/guitarist Will Keating, guitarists Max Peniket and Jim Allsop, bassist Jake Aitman and drummer Alex Hinton-Smith, Better Than Never decided to take maximum advantage of their girthy line-up during the writing process.
The members sat down as a group and worked together on every track for several months, trying to perfect every aspect. The result is an EP jam-packed with hard-hitting layers: the dual vocalists are used to maximal effect, triple stacked guitars cleverly interplay and the lyrical content delivers a punch to the feels.
‘Head Under Water’ also sees the band voyaging into new waters, with unexpected moments of aggression, meaning they appeal equally to fans of Blink 182 and Sum 41, as they do to the likes of Stick To Your Guns and A Day To Remember.