Our friends in Gold Steps just released their brand-new EP, That Ain’t It on 10/7 via Revival Records! We have been anxiously awaiting the release of this EP and are pumped to have gotten our hands on it. Did That Ain’t It live up to the anticipation though?
That Ain’t It is the latest release from pop punk band Gold Steps who recently came bursting back on to the scene. Keep an eye out for Gold Steps feelings on the EP to be slipped in to the review. Let’s kick this off with a word from the band about the creation of the EP.
“It feels surreal that That Ain’t It is finally coming out; our last EP was released more than 4 years ago, and for us, that was lifetimes ago. We’ve changed and grown so much as people and as a band, and you can feel the progression with the way these songs fit together on the EP. It feels like high school graduation: a long, turbulent, beautiful, messy but monumental era coming to a close. We’re appreciative of all the experiences that molded us into the band we are today, but we’re excited and ready for the next chapter.
It’s not the experience or trajectory of most artists, but we aren’t like most artists. That Ain’t It is a testament to our perseverance, and how we don’t let setbacks deter us. We’ve become stronger and more driven than ever with a clearer purpose. We feel like we’re on the edge of something new, and we’re ready to take the proverbial plunge.”
The EP kicks off with 2 songs that are such a smooth ride. “Front Row”, almost feels like a summer jam that you can cruise with your windows down and just blare it. I absolutely love the cadence of the vocals on this song. It just adds such a different element to the song, and gives a fun mix with the classic pop punk instrumentals. “Petty” is such a great sing-along song. This song is going to be big in the live show and the crowds are going to be hungry for it. While featuring very relatable lyrics and a killer groove you just can’t not have a good time listening to it.
“That Ain’t It is actually the combination of three different writing/recording sessions with producer Rick King and co-writer Nick Thompson (Hit The Lights, Thief Club). We wrote and recorded “Empty Space” and “Under Attack” in September 2018, then returned to King’s Kentucky studio in February 2019 where we wrote and recorded four new tracks; of those four, three made it to the final EP. Zach and Liz relocated to Milwaukee from Austin summer of 2019, and resumed writing with a new lineup in 2020. The final three tracks for the EP, “Front Row,” “Petty,” and “Gatsby” were solidified and partially tracked at Zach and Liz’s Milwaukee home in March 2021, with King and Thompson resuming their roles. We completed tracking on our own after that final writing session, and hired Kieran Krebs of Overcast Recordings as mixing and mastering engineer for the EP. Krebs had previously tracked our 2018 EP
Incandescent. The masters were finally completed for the EP in April 2022 after some late instrumental additions to acoustic track “As Time Goes By.” It’s been a long process, but we love every song on the EP, and feel they could all be singles in their own way.”
I want to jump down to “Stay The Same”. This is the first song I heard from the band earlier this year and instantly knew I had to work with them. We did this interview and I awaited news of new music. This is probably my favorite song on the EP. It still just goes so hard and is stellar from start to finish. I feel this song fits right in and can play along side any of the great pop punk songs that have been coming out. If you are looking for a song to see if this is a band you might be interested in, I recommend checking out this song.
We’re going to move down to the last song on the EP, “Gatsby”. As a fan of The Great Gatsby, I was instantly drawn to this one and wanted to check it out. The song does not disappoint. This is another one that I can see a crowd of people jumping along and just having an amazing time with Gold Steps. The band brings a high energy spark to close out the EP strongly. This leaves fans in a great place and excited to hear what’s next.
I think the EP is very solid from the first song to the last. The EP shows a lot of what Gold Steps brings to the table for fans. The first couple songs seem to lean more pop, while other songs feel like your classic pop punk sound. This band just knows how to bring the heat and get fans invested in the music. I definitely recommend checking out That Ain’t It, if you are looking for something new to listen to. Gold Steps is well on their way to further making their mark on the scene. You can snag the album at the following places: Apple/Revival/Spotify. Here are some final thoughts from Gold Steps.
“Because of the songs spanning three different recording sessions and timeframes, we had the opportunity to grow as artists and draw on new experiences between those sessions. It’s almost like the EP captures that growth; you can hear a marked difference in a song like “Stay The Same,” written in 2019, compared with “Petty,” written in 2021. We’re still Gold Steps, but we got the opportunity to play with some newer pop influences and branch out a bit. We feel like this EP is a great way to show our range, and ease some of our older fans into where we could take our sound in the future.
We also grew in our technical abilities throughout the process. We self-tracked most of the vocals and all the drums in the final masters of “Front Row,” “Petty,” and “Gatsby,” and went back to add new bass to “Stay The Same” and “Love Song”. It’s great to have that option in the future so we can track whenever we want, whether it’s for demos or tracking a final version for a new single or record.
We’re very appreciative to Revival Recordings for taking a chance on us as an artist, and giving us their full support in releasing That Ain’t It. The entire team has been incredibly supportive, giving us guidance and assistance in areas we need while allowing us to maintain full creative control over our music and image. It’s an incredibly collaborative relationship, and we can’t thank our team enough for believing in us.”
Track Listing:
- Front Row
- Petty
- Under Attack
- Stay The Same (Feat. Thief Club)
- Love Song
- Empty Space
- As Time Goes By
- Gatsby
Favorite tracks:
- Stay The Same
- Gatsby
- Under Attack
- Love Song
