One can always count on California for clear skies, crowded roads, and beautiful sounds. Some of the best musical acts have called the Golden State home; from The Beach Boys to Blink 182 to The Gloomies.

For the past five years, The Gloomies have been a mainstay in the rock scene, bringing a signature sound with surf-inspired vibes to the table each and every time. That includes this week’s release of ‘Are We Getting Better?’ Dropping this March 6, we talked music, boards, and more with The Gloomies’ Andy Craig.

Kendra: Looking back at 2015’s “LSD, how do you feel you’ve evolved as a songwriter?

Andy Craig: I think that I have just gotten more comfortable and understand my own process a lot more. There’s a lot of things I’ve been trying to do with the music since the beginning of The Gloomies and I feel like I’m finally starting to realize the vision I’ve had in my head back from when it all started.

Kendra: With “Sideways” you’ve captured something I’ve been struggling with recently. Something perhaps many are and it’s that restless feeling. That feeling of being off course in life but not even knowing what course you’re supposed to be on. Where do you feel that comes from most for us, is it the comparative pressure felt seeing other people succeed on social media, or perhaps do we have too many options and are overwhelmed on how to spend whatever time we have pursuing them?

Andy Craig: I think it is a factor of everything above. I think for everyone it is different and altered a bit depending on their lives and surroundings. For me it has just been something I have always felt I guess, I think there are positives to the feeling of being lost. For example, I think a lot of growth comes out of those times as well as self-exploration.

Kendra: “Sideways” can be found on your March 2020 release ‘Are We Getting Better? So coming from a surf scene, if you had to design a board that fit the album’s aesthetic what kind of design, colors, and patterns would we see?

Andy Craig: I’m thinking of a single-fin with some silver sparkle and maybe flower and skull tortoise-inlays throughout it.

Kendra: How was it working with Jade III on “Sick Like You,” and did you plan on having any collaborations on the album before this song came to be?

Andy Craig: I loved working with Jade. Jade is like family and I hadn’t really thought about any sort of collaboration beforehand. I referenced a song to her brother Blake who was mixing it and it gave me the idea to bring Jade onto the project.

Kendra: Can you let the people know what you have going on in the coming months? Touring perhaps?

Andy Craig: We are playing a few release shows in NYC, LA, and San Diego and we’re putting together a tour for Spring/Early Summer. We have been recording a bunch of new music and just putting together videos and such for the future as well.