For the first time since their sophomore album, Between You & Me release their latest EP completely independently on April 5th! The SH!T YEAH EP comes highly anticipated by pop-punk fans of the Australian band since releasing singles, "Nevermind" and "YEAH!" in 2023. And, with the combination of the band releasing "In The Middle" and hitting the road in both the UK and United States for the SH!T YEAH Tour, fans have been itching to hear the newest music from the band.
Track by Track
The EP starts off strong with "Kill My Vibe" featuring Knuckle Puck, which can only be described as something reminiscent of the Tony Hawk Pro Skater soundtrack. The song was released two days prior to the EP release, only making listeners more anxious to hear the rest of the EP.
Then, the EP flows into "In The Middle," Between You & Me's first release of 2024. The lyrics perfectly describe the confusion that comes with the back and forth of being "caught in the middle" of a pre-existing relationship.
Up next is the single that started it all, "Nevermind," the first independent single release that would eventually lead to the EP announcement. This song off the EP is a classic angsty hit that perfectly follows up "In The Middle" by adding to the storyline of moving on.
Next is "Every Morning," the first song not previously released by the band to the lead up for the EP release. This song is a headbanger with sick guitar riffs will have listeners blasting the music through their speakers.
The EP's namesake follows, which was released prior to the EP. "YEAH!" gives a nice transition in the vibe by slowing down the sound a bit to bring the EP to a close with the final song.
Closing out the release is "Sad Songs," which is another new song that fans will be hearing for the first time. With lyrics like, "I've been waiting for so long, singing these sad songs," and "Searching for something more," with the combination of the slowed beat, Between You & Me pulls at heart strings, perfectly closing the curtain on the SH!T YEAH EP.
This release is special to the band in a lot of ways. In an Instagram post, Between You & Me shares, "As band members, we are all on different journeys, but the music that we write is a shared path that we get to create collectively. A conduit for us to express the meaningful and meaningless nature of living. You live; you die. Our new EP titled 'SH!T YEAH' personifies that. As our first independent release since our sophomore album 'Armageddon' and parting ways with our record label, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to create something special...'SH!T YEAH' has become a phrase synonymous with the BYAM family. A war cry for every little win in our camp, moving us forward and making us stronger as a unit. This EP is a culmination of us believing in ourselves to achieve the goals we have dreamed of, but also having the most fun on our own journey. The audacious title sets the tone for the EP. There are no bounds for creativity, and this is us writing our own story." With these words, the band resonates with fans and artists alike, especially independent bands that risk everything to put their music out there. Between You & Me has done something incredibly special by choosing to release their own music that is truly 100% a representation of them, and that is evident when listening to the EP.
We were also fortunate enough to connect with 'Bassy' from Between You & Me for a Q&A about the EP, touring, and more!
Introduce yourself and your role in the band.
Bassy, I play bass and am the village idiot at Between You & Me.
This EP is the first work you all have created completely independently in a long time. What was the creation process like this time around with that change?
Tbh it wasn’t very different in regard to the writing front but a much bigger financial risk on our behalf. We are a lot more conscious of our moves now but also have to be on our own backs to keep on top of the things we need to do. This time we were able to spend a few weeks in a coastal town with Sam & Jack that helped shape the sound we developed with Armageddon. It was such a fun relaxed vibe, but after the majority of the music was done, it took us a while to nail the lyrics, but I think everything happened the way it was supposed to.
What does being an independent band mean to you all now?
It means two things, creative control but also a lot of pressure. We are now holding all of the cards. The world is our oyster. Let’s see what we can do!
Your EP opens strong with a collaboration with Knuckle Puck that kind of gives off Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater soundtrack vibes. What went into the creation of this song and what was it like collaborating with Knuckle Puck on this?
This was such a fun one to see come to life. "KMV" was one of the last ideas that we sifted through when we were writing at the house. JT laid down the chorus when we were there and we sat on it as we left for our tour with KP in April last year. While we were over there and listening over the demos, the idea of getting a feature was brought up. We gelled well with the KP camp, and we asked Joe if he would be keen to have a crack at the verse on this one. The rest is history.
How would you describe the EP to a new listener?
Raucous, emotive, passionate, care free.
What’s something that you want fans to get out of this project?
If they can take whatever message they feel they are hearing, then that’s great. I really just want people to have fun with it and feel that all we are doing is having as much fun as we can.
You all have had the opportunity to tour Europe and the US recently. What’s it like being a band from Australia and making these tours across the world possible?
Absolutely incredible. The fact that our tiny band from Australia can play shows a similar size that they are doing at home on the complete other side of the world, mind boggling. We feel very blessed to be able to do what we do.
Have you had the chance to travel to any new places on these last 2 runs?
On this run we have gone back to a lot of places we have been before, so it has been nice to hit some of our favourite coffee and food spots in all these cities around the world. We did get to visit Walter White's house from Breaking Bad today on an off day in Albuquerque, so that was pretty cool.
You all have posted some of the most hilarious things I’ve ever seen online to promote your band. Is that a reflection of your all’s personalities? Are you wanting to cultivate a certain environment for fans with humor?
We don’t really take ourselves too seriously, and we are glad it comes across that way! We are really only trying to make each other laugh with anything that we post, so anything you see us doing is probably us just acting like idiots.
Do you all see yourselves continuing to make music and tour as an independent band?
At the moment for sure. Who knows what the future holds though.
Between You & Me are closing out their first ever headline tour in the US, performing with Young Culture and Homesafe along with various openers. Then, they will be returning to Australia for performances in May 2024. Tickets to the performances in Australia can be found here. Between You & Me might currently be best known for their hit "Dakota," but this EP is certainly going to be the start of the band solidifying themselves as one of the greats in rock music.
All images of Between You & Me in Orlando courtesy of Nolan Fisher.
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