Rob Good and Paul Wiseman had penned a sufficient number of songs to create a complete album. However, just as they were preparing to embark on the recording process, Good surprised everyone by introducing “Hear Me,” an exceptionally energetic Power Pop anthem that raised the creative bar. Encouraged by this newfound inspiration, they proceeded to write three more songs in a similar catchy and hook-laden style. Eventually, they decided to release (an) E.P., which turned out to be a resounding success, showcasing an irresistibly infectious and impressive collection of tracks.

Rob Good happily recounts this tale.

How did this record come together?

The band started out as a quarantine project after I reconnected with Paul. We were both starved for both social and musical interaction and hit it off immediately. When it came time to record, we decided to use our recording budget to outfit our own studio and record ourselves, which allowed us to take our time and really dial in the performances and arrangements.

What was the moment you knew you were on to something?

We wrote a full length record’s worth of songs over the course of about a year, but by the time it came to record them we were sick of them and felt we could do better. I brought the song “Hear Me” to Paul one night at the studio and a lightbulb went on. After that, the rest of the songs came together really quickly.

The meaning of success has changed over the years. What would success look like for the new record?

When we started the band we never intended for it to be anything but a fun, creative outlet. We thought we might record some songs and show them to our friends and that would be about it. The fact that the record even exists at all and that people we don’t know seem to like it is more success than we ever anticipated. Everything that happens from here on out is success!

As an artist, you choose to show your emotions to the world. Is it always comfortable to do so?

Not always – to show someone else something you wrote requires that you go to a vulnerable place, but the less you worry about that and the more you trust yourself, the more creative you’ll allow yourself to be. Hopefully people will like it and connect with it, but whether or not you like it is the most important thing. I’ve gone through periods of intense writer’s block when I let myself worry too much about what a theoretical audience might think. I think I’m mostly over that now.

Lyrics are too often taken for granted. What is the line of text or are the lines of text that you hope listeners will remember? And why?

I love lyrics and they’re a big part of what makes me fall in love with a song, but I never know what lyrics of mine people will connect with or if they will mean anything to anyone but me. I like the line about “lonely karaoke nights” from “David Jones Is Dead” – I just think it paints a nice picture.

Those magical moments when you’re working in the studio. Which moment was the most magical?

This is our first record, so we were really figuring things out as we went along and there were lots of magical, spontaneous moments. Bobby from Dandy Boy Records co-produced the record with us and has a great ear for performance and vibe. In particular, he helped out a lot with the lead vocals, which I needed because it’s been a while since I fronted a band. I remember having trouble finding the right approach for “I’m Not the Only One,” and Bobby sat me down and broke down lyrics for me, like “here’s what you’re singing about!” I had hardly realized what I was singing about even though I wrote the words. After that pep talk we got the performance that’s on the record in a single take.

The record is done, the music is out. Is the best fun done now or is it just beginning?

It’s all fun! We’ll be playing a lot of shows and working on the next record. We have enough songs written for a full length, just gotta get back in the studio and start recording!