Beach Bunny - The Tunnel Vision Tour

Pool Kids’ third album, Easier Said Than Done, shimmers with emotional clarity and courage. Adrenalizing and irresistible, it captures the dynamism of the band’s live show in the studio while showcasing a sound unmistakably their own.

The band first cut their teeth on Tallahassee’s house show circuit, quickly building a grassroots following. Their 2018 debut, Music to Practice Safe Sex To, earned praise from Hayley Williams of Paramore. Expanding into a four-piece — Andy Anaya (guitar), Nicolette Alvarez (bass), Caden Clinton (drums), and Christine Goodwyne (guitar, vocals) — Pool Kids reached new heights with their 2022 self-titled album, a critically acclaimed blend of pop, emo, and math rock marked by lush, high-contrast arrangements.

They’ve shared stages with The Mountain Goats, PUP, Beach Bunny, and La Dispute, all while holding fast to their DIY ethos: anyone can do what Pool Kids do. Anyone can start a band.

For Easier Said Than Done, the band teamed up with producer Mike Vernon Davis (Foxing, Great Grandpa). They self-funded the record and spent five weeks recording in Seattle, crashing with friends, staying in motels, and even sleeping on the studio floor to keep costs down. “We did a lot of searching, playing each song a million different ways and deciding which one sounded the best,” says Goodwyne. With the finished album in hand, the band signed to Epitaph Records.

Across the album, emotional candor drives each track. On “Tinted Windows,” Goodwyne grits her teeth at the strain touring can place on close relationships. “Exit Plan” captures the bittersweet weight of saying goodbye to friends after a run of shows, knowing those bonds may never feel quite the same. On “Bad Bruise,” she pleads for empathy — “Pretty please, empathy / Got me on my knees” — as the band surges around her.

A powerful sense of collectivity defines Easier Said Than Done — in the dynamic interplay between Goodwyne and Anaya’s guitars, in Alvarez’s gravitational basslines, and in Clinton’s whirling drum patterns. Pool Kids lock together as a unified force, propelling themselves toward hard-won release. The album leaves listeners with one vital reminder: you don’t have to do anything in this world alone.