Pool Kids
Pool Kids has been on an upward trajectory, touring with some of their idols and then joining iconic punk label Epitaph Records. And they have learned from the experience, naming their newly released LP Easier Said Than Done.
It's a fitting title for a record where the band pushed their limits, intentionally, culminating in a layered but still accessible record that carries the emo tag without derivation. The songs are meaningful and from the heart, but with sing-song pop and clever songwriting twists throughout.
We caught up with guitarist Andrew Anaya to talk about the album and, of course, The Fest too.
Scene Point Blank: You recorded the album about a year ago. How does it feel to look back on that period now that you've had some time to reflect?
Andrew Anaya: 2024 felt like an incredible whirlwind. Massive highs, devastating lows; I think I navigated the entire spectrum. The band was coming off about two years of heavy touring (USA + EU + Japan) and we somehow fit a handful of writing sessions and pre-production into the cracks. The recording process, though creatively fulfilling, can often be a slog. A lot of wormholes, experimenting, breakthroughs, headaches, and enlightenment. It feels great to look back on [it] with a completed story we’re all so proud of. We really hope our friends and fans love it the way we do. It’s theirs now.
Scene Point Blank: What songs on Easier Said Than Done are the most fun to play live so far?
Andrew Anaya: So far we’ve only gotten to play “Leona Street,” “Tinted Windows,” and “Easier Said Than Done.” I think they’ve all gone over well! It’s always a fun experiment figuring out how to sandwich the old and new material for setlists. Excited to play more on future tours.
Scene Point Blank: This record is described as a very focused, fully collaborative recording process. What song, for you personally, are you most proud of?
Andrew Anaya: We definitely pride ourselves on at least trying ideas (sometimes to great success, sometimes to utter failure). Christine wrote this entire album -- she’s an absolute beast and inspiration on that front. I really enjoy coloring in her illustrations with guitar soundscapes and being part of the team that either executes the original vision or takes it to some new place we end up discovering along the way.
“Exit Plan,” “Which is Worse?,” and “Last Word” are favorites, but they’re all loved equally.
Scene Point Blank: It sounds like you entered the studio (for 5 weeks!) with a plan. Did you follow a strict process or was it more go-with-the-flow, so to speak, in how you got to the end result?
Andrew Anaya: For better or worse, even the best plan is difficult to execute in a studio setting. Between the band and our production crew, Mike Vernon Davis and Sam Rosson, our team was six people deep, so many ideas and opinions needed to be explored and discussed. For people like Christine and myself, we need sturdy structure to grip through the turbulence of intense work Sometimes it was messy. At the end of the day, we accomplished what we set out to do. I love everyone on that team dearly.
Scene Point Blank: Your sound is loosely described as math rock-influenced emo. Given that blend of styles, who are a few guitarists that inspired you?
Andrew Anaya: There are certainly obvious guitar heroes for me: Nick Reinhart, Kurt Ballou, Nels Cline, EVH, the early '90s alt and grunge guys, tons of shredders like Dimebag Darrell and Chuck Schuldiner, the list goes on.
Scene Point Blank: I’ve come to realize the most important guitar players I’ve been influenced by and learned from are the ones I’ve played in bands with: Tanner Jones, Trevor O’Hare, Christine Goodwyne, Andy Vila, Nick Nottebaum, Scott Carr, Steven Gray. Those are people who actually pushed me to expand my musical palette and helped me discover what kind of guitarist I am and need to be.
Scene Point Blank: How did you connect with Epitaph?
Andrew Anaya: Epitaph was the first label to show us, without a shadow of doubt, that they were fans of the band and prepared to offer assistance while we started work writing LP3. We had an amazing home with Skeletal Lightning -- those people will always be our family -- but even they supported us in our decision-making process [of] finding a home for the completed album when it came time.
We’ll always choose to take a chance and try something new. We’re lucky to have been supported the way we’ve experienced thus far.
Scene Point Blank: What is your favorite album Epitaph has released?
Andrew Anaya: Epitaph releases have defined my entire life through so many eras from early childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood. The Offspring, NOFX, Pennywise, Rancid, Zeke, Motion City Soundtrack, Converge, Every Time I Die, the list is massive. I still have my Punk-o-Rama cds. It’s a major honor to be among their legacy.
Scene Point Blank: Saturday's Bo Diddley lineup is stacked, and pretty varied in style. Share a few thoughts about some of the bands you'll be sharing the stage with. Is there a particular band you loved in high school, etc?
Andrew Anaya: I’m excited for everyone we’re playing with. It’s another who’s who of bands I’ve loved from across my lifetime. Rx Bandits is hugely influential to me, especially the guitar playing of Matt Embree and Steve Choi, so they’re sitting atop the list at the moment. Drug Church is not to be missed. Shelter is legendary. We feel incredibly fortunate to be part of it.
Scene Point Blank: FEST 23 is the final date in a 6-week tour for you. How did you choose to end things on such a high note?
Andrew Anaya: Fest has historically been a family affair for us. Some of our best, most memorable shows have been in Gainesville, FL. It’s one time of year where we can count on reconnecting with all our musician friends across the scene and also spend it with our closest friends we’ve grown in our early adulthoods with. There’s no better place to be than home turf.
Scene Point Blank: Name 3 things you're excited about at FEST 23.
Andrew Anaya: Can’t go wrong with a Cuban Gator from Flacco’s or some wings down at Loosey’s. I love getting to experience whatever my homies in PeZ are cooking up; they’re an amazing band who never fail to blow my mind with their performances and their schemes. I’m also excited and curious how my best friend Elliot will end up making me mess up my own performances with his inane and hysterical antics; last year he was crowd surfing reading Hare Krishna literature dressed as a ghost and I had to stop playing guitar for a couple measures. He’s the checkered demon.
Scene Point Blank: How many times have you been to Fest and what makes it special to you?
Andrew Anaya: I’ve been to Fest just about every year since Fest 9 (crazy to think back on). Every “real” band I’ve ever been lucky to lend some guitar to has played; Kit Fisto, You Blew It, Dikembe, Superhaunted, Pool Kids. There’s a major amount of near indescribable love, magic, and good vibes surrounding everyone in attendance from the bands to the fans. It’s a soul recharge and reminder of why we play music in the first place, which is to foster community and connectivity.
Scene Point Blank: You're also interviewing bands for the Fest guidebook. Why is that important to you?
[This interview will also appear in the FEST 23 guidebook.]
Andrew Anaya: I love to read articles where artists get to talk a little shop and let everyone else in on how they tick; it’s a gift for me to get a chance to participate in something like that. I am first and foremost a music lover and fan, I think the added layer of being a musician helps me bring some insight when the rest of us are looking to learn more about our favorite artists and creators.
