Nothing sets the tone for summer like the music releases leading up to it. Even though Sabrina Carpenter is currently at the top of the charts, The Inside Out, a Shelton, Connecticut-based band, have created the perfect song to accompany “Espresso” and “Please Please Please” on summer playlists.
“Good Times” was released on June 28th by the four-piece indie rock band, which includes James Howard (vocals), Zach Stout (guitar), John Landino (bass), and Andi Wright (drums). The song and its music video sound, look, and feel like summer. The song is reminiscent of the music on alternative radio stations around 2014–2017, which were years with some major summer hits.
The music video makes it feel like you are actually there with the band, or at the very least makes you wish you had been there. The video itself was very well shot, with cinematic footage from Kris Khunachak that makes it look like a scene from a beloved coming-of-age movie. In both the music video and on the band’s social media accounts, you can see just how passionate and lively each member is and how they truly enjoy what they do. No egos, no clickbait, no marketing stunts—just music and humor.
On The Soundtrack of Our Lives podcast, Howard said that the song’s title came from a catchphrase of his as a kid and that when he began writing the song around 6 years ago, he thought of that childhood memory and used it as inspiration for the song. Wright also explained during the episode that “Good Times” is a 180 from the others on their most recent album, as those were created as a by-product of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The band is sure to have more “good times” later this year, as their next album will be coming sometime soon. There doesn’t seem to be a definite release date yet, but it is titled Road Trip and will be more upbeat than their 2022 album No Brains, No Blood.
