Pool Kids Share Pensive Single “Sorry Not Sorry”
Ahead Of New Album ‘Easier Said Than Done’ Out August 15
EU/UK Tour Announced, North American Headlining Tour Starts This Fall
““Easier Said Than Done” is a sharp, reassuring jam that still manages to rock, and it promises great things to come.” – Stereogum
“’Easier Said Than Done’s’ lead single/title track finds them leaning more into pop songcraft than ever without losing their explosive emo/rock side.” – BrooklynVegan
Pool Kids‘ third album, Easier Said Than Done, shimmers with emotional clarity and courage. Adrenalizing and irresistible, it brings the dynamism of the band’s live show into the studio, showcasing a style that’s unmistakably their own. From the stark contrast of its emotional title track to the playfully self-deprecating indie-pop of “Leona Street”, today the band shares the vibey and defiant “Sorry Not Sorry” ahead of the record out this Friday, August 15.
WATCH THE “SORRY NOT SORRY” LYRIC VIDEO HERE
PRE-SAVE/PRE-ORDER ‘EASIER SAID THAN DONE’ HERE
Frontperson Christine Goodwyne says of the new track: “When you feel like you’re somebody’s second choice, or like you’re not as important to them as they are to you, it can send you into this desperate, embarrassing sort of spiral. In phases like those, it can feel very empowering to pick yourself up, take control of the situation and be like “whatever, I’m not going to tolerate this, I don’t need this person’s approval”. I used to get caught sort of in the middle of those two approaches, swinging back and forth between totally desperate and totally in-control.
It’s been many years since I’ve dealt with or felt anything like that, but it’s the kind of feeling that you never forget. Sometimes when I’m writing it can be inspiring to tap into those old, more potent emotions that I haven’t felt in a long time. It’s kind of an ode to an old version of myself that would’ve found a song like this very cathartic.”
Powerful collectivity rings through Pool Kids’ third album Easier Said Than Done — in the dynamic interplay between Goodwyne and Andy Anaya‘s guitars, in Nicolette Alvarez‘s gravitationally binding basslines, in Caden Clinton‘s nimble, whirling drum patterns. They lock together into a unified force, each leaning on the other, propelling themselves forward into hard-won release. With its irrepressible communal energy, Easier Said Than Done impresses one of the most important reminders anyone can hear: You don’t have to do anything in this world alone.
Pool Kids returned to Seattle to work with Mike Vernon Davis (Foxing, Great Grandpa), who produced their self-titled. The band funded the studio sessions with money they’d saved from years of steady touring, eager to explore the freedom that comes with making a record independently. They spent five weeks together in the summer of 2024, staying with friends, at motels, and in the studio itself to save money. They recorded late into the night, driving to the edge of the city to shower at a Planet Fitness once they’d wrapped for the day.
Working from the trust they’d built during their earlier studio sessions, the band focused on pushing the record to its fullest emotive potential with Davis encouraging them to experiment with new recording strategies. Songs evolved through multiple iterations, assuming different genres as they went, from synth pop to slacker rock and back again, or from gentle acoustic balladry to driving anthemic rock. “We tried out new ideas on the fly, wrote and reworked songs, keys, chord progressions, and runs together,” says Alvarez. “We looked at everything as a collective through an even more powerful microscope than before.”
While writing, Goodwyne challenged herself to focus on the present moment and only use lyrics she had recently penned, rather than looking back through old notes for starting points. “There’s a lot of Florida imagery and a lot of really specific glimpses from tour on this album,” she says. “By letting myself get specific, I feel a lot more emotionally connected to the songs. It’s a very personal record for me and for the whole band, too. I was writing about what life has been like for all of us over the last few years. I feel like all of us can relate to a lot of the songs.“
Originally recorded in a friend’s kitchen, their debut album, 2018’s Music to Practice Safe Sex To earned a fan in Paramore’s Hayley Williams. Pool Kids’ 2022 self-titled record netted wide critical acclaim with its lush, high-contrast mixture of pop, emo, and math rock. Over the past few years they’ve shared stages with The Mountain Goats, PUP, Beach Bunny, and La Dispute. Throughout their rapid artistic growth, they’ve held fast to the principles of their DIY origins and have earned over 24 Million global streams across their catalog. At their shows, they hammer home the message that anyone can do what Pool Kids do. Anyone can start a band. Anyone can make a record. Everyone deserves to chase their dream.
Easier Said Than Done Tracklisting
1. Easier Said Than Done
2. Tinted Windows
3. Bad Bruise
4. Leona Street
5. Last Word
6. Sorry Not Sorry
7. Not Too Late
8. Which Is Worse?
9. Dani
10. Perfect View
11. Exit Plan
This Fall, Pool Kids will be taking their new record on the road for a North American headlining tour that kicks off on September 19th in Nashville. After making their way through major cities like NYC, Toronto, Chicago, and Los Angeles, the month long run wraps up in Miami on November 6th. Tickets are available HERE
Pool Kids On Tour
w/ Truth Club & Pony
Sept. 19 – Nashville, TN – The Basement
Sept. 20 – Durham, NC – Motorco Music Hall
Sept. 21 – Asbury Park, NJ – House of Independents
Sept. 23 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
Sept. 25 – Philadelphia, PA – Ukie Club on Franklin
Sept. 26 – Somerville, MA – Crystal Ballroom
Sept. 27 – Montreal, QC – Bar le Ritz PDB
Sept. 28 – Toronto, ON – The Baby G
Sept. 30 – Hamtramck, MI – Sanctuary Detroit
Oct. 01 – Pittsburgh, PA – Thunderbird Café
Oct. 02 – Columbus, OH – A&R Music Bar
Oct. 03 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
Oct. 04 – St. Paul, MN – Amsterdam Bar & Hall
Oct. 06 – Denver, CO – Marquis Theater
Oct. 08 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
Oct. 10 – Seattle, WA – Madame Lou’s
Oct. 11 – Vancouver, BC – Fox Cabaret
Oct. 12 – Portland, OR – Polaris Hall
Oct. 14 – San Francisco, CA – Rickshaw Stop
Oct. 16 – San Diego, CA – Soda Bar
Oct. 17 – Los Angeles, CA – Lodge Room
Oct.18 – Phoenix, AZ – Last Exit Live
Oct. 20 – Denton, TX – Rubber Gloves
Oct. 21 – Austin, TX – 29th Street Ballroom
Oct. 23 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade (purgatory)
Oct. 25 – Gainesville, FL – FEST 25 *
Nov. 5 – Tampa, FL – New World Music Hall *
Nov. 6 – Miami, FL – Gramps *
Nov. 8 – Nov. 13 – Coheed and Cambria’s S.S. Neverender
*Pool Kids only
Pool Kids UK/EU Tour Dates (2026)
Feb 17 – Southampton, UK @ The Joiners *
Feb 18 – Bristol, UK @ Exchange *
Feb 19 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club *
Feb 20 – Manchester, UK @ The Deaf Institute *
Feb 21 – Glasgow, UK @ Stereo *
Feb 23 – Birmingham, UK @ Hare & Hounds V2 *
Feb 24 – Brighton, UK @ Patterns *
Feb 25 – London, UK @ The Garage *
Feb 27 – Paris @ Supersonic
Feb 28 – Brussels, BE @ Birmingham ^
Mar 1 – Cologne, DE @ Blue Shell ^
Mar 3 – Hamburg, DE @ Hebebühne ^
Mar 4 – Berlin, DE @ Berghain Kantine ^
Mar 6 – Eindhoven, NL @ Altstadt ^
* w/ Sydney Sprague
^ w/ Swain