Pop-punk band Promise Game delivers a classic pop-punk experience with their new single, "Connecticut."
When you discover your calling or passion, life can change unexpectedly. For this up-and-coming-band, a group of buddies would revive their passions for music in 2020 and produce Passion Game. What began as a couple of band members improvising on some 90s pop-punk covers would eventually develop into something more significant as they chose to go beyond pop-punk covers. Their creative drive would lead them to complete their first EP, It Won't Be Long, which showcased the band's many talents and diverse influences.
"All the music we create comes from our experiences, with "Connecticut" being the latest example. But with this song, it's different. This song represents an experience that we all shared, dealt with, and persevered over. Expressing all that through our music and lyrics has helped us grow as songwriters - we definitely feel like it'll be easy to hear this continued progression in our upcoming releases."
In May of 2022, Promise Game would release their next EP, Horizon, another step forward for the band that would show off a more nostalgic atmosphere with vivid harmonies and melodies. Now the band is pushing their collective influences forward with their new single, "Connecticut."
Beautifully melodic while still keeping under their infectiously nostalgic pop-punk guise, "Connecticut" is a fresh and inventive take on what's to come for Promise Game this year. Promise Game has always been a band that takes inspiration as it comes, and their spontaneous new single is just the beginning of something new and exciting for the band.
What started Promise Game? What is the story behind your band name?
Promise Game started when a couple of the band members started talking about getting together to play some pop punk covers of 90's pop songs. We've all been friends for a while, and have played in various bands in the past but never in the same band together. We thought it'd be fun to get together every week and just jam, but it was clear early on that we had something pretty fun and special. The name itself is something that Colin came up with when the original members of the band were thinking of options that fit one main criterion: the name needed to be something unique, something that would stand out and be easily found across all channels online. We went through many different options, but at the end of the day we landed on Promise Game and we’ve never looked back!
What are your musical influences? How did they tie into your latest single, "Connecticut"? There are these really pretty melodic touches that you guys add to your pop-punk/ alternative sound. How was this creative process different instrumentally from your last EP, Horizons?
Our collective music influences include everything from pop-punk to metal, which plays a big part in how we write our songs. We always set out to create music that attracts listeners of all different types of alternative rock genres, with "Connecticut" being a true example of that. It's funny that you mention "pretty" and "melodic", those were some of the exact words that were being thrown around when putting this track together. The biggest difference between "Connecticut" and every other Promise Game song recorded to date, is that this was the first song we wrote with our current lead guitar player Michael Cochran. His input and fresh influence on our overall sound can easily be heard on the single and will be heard in the music we're working on.
Lyrically, "Connecticut," tells an intriguing story. Being that this is the 13th track recorded by you guys since forming in 2020, it depicts your first-hand experience while on tour in May 2022. Despite everything, it turned out to be one of your best shows ever. Can we dive into that a bit more? I understand how important this was for you.
All the feelings from this song are tried and true. "Connecticut" is the shortened adaptation of a real-life touring nightmare, something we experienced back in May when traveling from New Jersey to Connecticut for day two of our tour with Driveways, Goalkeeper, and Cheer Up Dusty. We had just had a crazy sold-out show the night before, morale was probably the highest we've ever had as a collective group. Then the van hit Connecticut, and everything that could go wrong went wrong. Long story short, all the issues we experienced trying to get to our show in East Haven, CT have washed away with the amazing night we had at The Barracks. The music, the people, the vibes - everything was perfect, and exactly what we needed after the nightmare we went through to get there. Connecticut and the people who make up its awesome music scene will always have a special place in our hearts.
Is "Connecticut" part of a larger project for you guys? Can we expect another EP or album to come from this?
We've been talking a lot about how we want to release all the new music we've been working on, but essentially that's still undetermined at this stage. We can say this - our main focus this winter is to write, write, write. More music is 100% coming in 2023.
How has this process helped you grow as a musician? What do you want listeners to take from this experience that they have not gotten from your previous work?
All the music we create comes from our experiences, with "Connecticut" being the latest example. But with this song, it's different. This song represents an experience that we all shared, dealt with, and persevered over. Expressing all that through our music and lyrics has helped us grow as songwriters - we definitely feel like it'll be easy to hear this continued progression in our upcoming releases.
What is next for you guys moving forward?
Ever since we got back from touring in mid-November, all we've really been doing is writing new music. We plan to take most of the Winter off to build a solid catalog of tracks that we can share with current and future listeners in the coming year. We're very excited about what's in the works and look forward to sharing it with the world.