Like most pop-punk anthems, Arrows in Action’s new song was inspired by a breakup.
The Gainesville power pop quartet, composed of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Victor Viramontes-Pattison, lead guitarist Matt Fowler, drummer Jesse Frimmel and bassist Tony Farah, is set to release “Honey,” their latest single, Tuesday, Nov. 10.
Viramontes-Pattison said the song represents the feeling of being blindsided in a once-smooth situation.
“For me, ‘Honey’ is about thinking everything is fine and just going along and being happy, and then life hits you out of nowhere,” he said.
“Honey,” as one of their heavier releases, is a song the band hopes is cathartic for listeners — one that communicates the emotions they usually share with their audience at live shows.
The song arrives as the fourth in a year-long series of singles, preceded by November 2019’s “Close Enough,” February’s “This Time” and September’s “Failing on Purpose.”
The series represents a new era for the band, one that Frimmel said has seen them becoming more cohesive as a group and taking more ownership of the songwriting process.
“It’s really our first pass at the four of us writing songs from scratch,” he said.
The newest release is thematically and lyrically similar to the previous releases, but the songwriting process was more deliberate, Viramontes-Pattison said. The chorus had been solidified for over a year, but the verses and the bridge came gradually, some elements finalized in the studio during tracking.
For the band, the lengthier process was necessary to provide the care and attention they believed the song deserved.
“That song out of the four was always like the baby,” Viramontes-Pattison said. “We knew it had to have its own spotlight.”
Sonically, “Honey” adopts a darker mood, driven by increasing experimentation and musical complexity from the group. The track is supported by full basslines, persistent beats and bright power chords from lead guitar, with elements of vocal modulation and layering decorating the choruses and the back half of the bridge.
“We get into a little bit of weirder chord progressions, and that down-bridge is really cool, almost spooky,” Fowler said.
The band credits production assists from All Time Low’s drummer Rian Dawson and touring member Dan Swank for expanding their creative palette. Frimmel in particular tested his musical limits with the encouragement of Dawson, who challenged him with complicated drum fills during almost every recording session.
“He really put Jesse through the ringer,” Viramontes-Pattison said.
“Honey” is Arrows in Action’s second release in two months, a move that marks the group’s focal shift from performing live shows to putting out new music. In the absence of touring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the group has taken to this more consistent release schedule and an increased online presence to stay connected with fans.
“We’re setting ourselves up to release content a lot more frequently than we ever have before,” Fowler said.
The recent releases from the group, capped off by “Honey,” represent the early stages of a steady stream of content set for the next year.
“It’s a good time to be an Arrows in Action fan,” Frimmel said. “Stay tuned.”
‘Honey’ is available everywhere Nov. 10. For more information, visit Arrows in Action’s website.
The Gainesville quartet Arrows in Action is set to release their newest single, “Honey,” Tuesday.
Heather Bushman is a fourth-year journalism and political science student and the enterprise elections reporter. She previously wrote and edited for the Avenue desk and reported for WUFT News. You can usually find her writing, listening to music or writing about listening to music. Ask her about synesthesia or her album tier list sometime.
