The pop-punkers of the rising band Makeout are headed out on a tour with Cute Is What We Aim For in support of their debut record, The Good Life.
Hailing from Providence, Rhode Island, lead vocalist and guitarist Sam Boxold, drummer Scott Eckel, bassist Alex Lofton, and lead guitarist Tyler Young teamed up to form their first album. Since its release late last year, the band has catapulted into the music scene – scoring themselves gigs opening for Blink-182 and a spot on the last run of the Vans Warped Tour. Although the record took a couple of years to make, Boxold said he knows all the hard work has paid off when he sees how much people appreciate the album.
Cute Is What We Aim For revealed show dates last week for a tour this fall – marking their first live gig in 18 months. In a press release, lead singer Shaant Hacikyan said that he’s always loved touring with the next generation of bands and he’s excited to share the stage with Makeout, who “seem to be the new kids on the block.”
Boxold said that being able to work with CIWWAF is so surreal and is an honor. He first heard the band while in middle school, and now years later, he has the opportunity to open for them.
“I view it as an opportunity to grow my mind and understand where the people know [the industry] best,” he said. “It’s going to teach us a lot I feel – we’ll be able to learn a lot from these bands that have been doing it forever.”
While on Warped Tour, Makeout brought a high-energy set to fans, playing fast-paced songs like “Crazy” and “Lisa.” However, Boxold said that this tour’s setlist will consist of more of their “moody” songs on the album like “You Can’t Blame Me.” Opening for CIWWAF will give them an opportunity to show the crowd a different side of The Good Life that people who haven’t looked into the album will get to experience live, he explained.
“We want to kind of flip the switch,” he said. “I think it’ll still be a really energetic show, but we’re going to try to change the character up a little bit – show just a little bit more of what we’re capable of.”
The 12-track record is full of energetic angst with intimate, funny lyrics that are undeniably relatable. While smash-hits like “Crazy” and “Childish” are tracks to blast and scream out the chorus to, songs like “Ride It Out” and “Salt Lake City” are more feel-good tunes. Boxold said that it’s hard to categorize their music, since some of the songs have a pop-rock feel, while others lean more toward a punk-like attitude.
“I think that Makeout is a really good experience for people to forget about what’s going on in their regular, daily life; the fast-pace of the music really helps people that are going through pent-up anger or angst,” he said. ” It does something, in my opinion, that metal [music] would do, but it’s also like punk-rock. If anyone is down to just have a good time and let go for a bit, we’re a good band to come see.”
The tour with CIWWAF is set to kick-off this November in Berwyn, Illinois and will make stops across most of the East Coast during the 14-date run. Right now, Makeout will still be supporting The Good Life, but fans can expect to hear some exciting announcements in the future. To stay connected with the band and their future endeavors, visit them on social media.