Warning: By reading this article you’ll be clamoring for more from this band than we can offer at this very moment, but it’s worth it.
Times Trials is the new EP from The Ones You Forgot, and while it consists of only three songs, they are very much a complete package when listened to altogether. Similar to their five-year-old EP, Too Afraid To Say, the tracks all individually take on a pop punk vibe, easily placed between tracks by Philadelphia scene’s pride and joy, The Wonder Years, and Albany’s beloved, State Champs. As a whole, though, as Time Trials, it sounds a little more rock and roll in its riff-tactic guitars coming in hot one after another after another. This allows the listener to realize that what they are listening to are the product of true musicianship – people who love their instruments, their bandmates, and the sounds they create as a unite. We needed to ask the band itself, via frontwoman Jenna bruno, to tell us about the strong songs they have on this EP – which is out today.
“Enjoy The Ride”
“We had been sitting on releasing ‘Enjoy The Ride’ for years. It was recorded in 2019, but we wanted to wait for the ‘perfect’ moment to drop it, considering we loved the song so much. Well, we all know that the pandemic hit in 2020, putting a wrench in the entire music industry’s plans. We continued to hold out, trying to come up with the art concepts, a special music video, and all the other working parts that go into a release. We dropped other songs we had worked on as time passed, but just couldn’t come to terms with letting this out into the world yet. Then naturally, we wrote two new songs that accompanied ‘Enjoy The Ride’ perfectly, and we decided we wanted to release them all together. What’s funny in all of this, is that the song itself taught us a lesson through its release: there is no perfect moment, we just need to soak in what we have in front of us.”
“Live For The Now”
“‘Live For The Now’ continued to solidify the message of Time Trials. At the time of writing, I was trying to teach myself how to slow down and stop worrying about rushing to the next milestone in life. [It’s] pretty funny how it tied so closely to ‘Enjoy The Ride,’ even with so much distance between the songs. Staying in the moment was something I thought I had mastered as the first song was written, but when ‘Live For The Now’ came into fruition down the road, I realized I still struggled with it. It felt like I was giving myself advice again and reliving something I thought was in my past. It was a tough realization, but made me realize that the songs definitely came from the heart.”
“Stepping Stone”
“‘Stepping Stone’ is the final piece to Time Trials. While the first two tracks are upbeat and poppy, ‘Stepping Stone’ pulls back the layers and gets more emotional. The theme, of course, is in line with the others, providing a reminder to stay in the moment, but it takes a new spin by emphasizing that everything is temporary – enjoy the good and positive while you have it, since it won’t last forever, but also remember that the pain you feel won’t last forever either. Wherever you are in life, it is a stepping stone to your future, so don’t panic, and maybe put a little more trust in the universe. All you have is now.”
TIME TRIALS, THE NEW EP FROM THE ONES YOU FORGOT, IS OUT NOW! CHECK OUT THEIR FACEBOOK TO SEE ALL THEIR HAPPENINGS!
