Alternative band Beach Weather discuss their reunion, hit song “Sex, Drugs, Etc.” and the creation of their debut album, ‘Pineapple Sunrise.’
Stream: “Sex, Drugs, Etc.” – Beach Weather
I think our name is perfect for what we create. I look at it as a black light poster. You gotta be in the dark for the colors to be their brightest. We feel that way with our music.
Nick Santino, Reeve Powers and Sean Silverman, the trio that make Beach Weather, released their debut album Pineapple Sunrise via Arista Records on March 3, 2023. The roughly 31 minute album dives into enchanting music that will have you reflecting on life and how you ended up where you are today. Filled with catchy riffs, relatable lyrics and a nostalgic sound, Beach Weather are coming back into the music industry with a bang.
The trio initially started Beach Weather back in 2015 with EPs such as What A Drag and Chit Chat. But each member ended up focusing on different avenues of life. Santino started a career in graphic design, got married and became a dad. Meanwhile, Silverman and Powers stayed within the music industry. Silverman continued his career in music production and songwriting. Powers got engaged and wrote and toured with Nashville artists. He also edited for a video production company. They all kept in touch hoping their lives would eventually align and bring them back to creating music together. When that happened, the creation of Pineapple Sunrise began.
“We all knew this is what we were supposed to do,” Santino says in an email to Atwood Magazine. “Sometimes you need to take a step back to reprioritize things. Sometimes your face is so close to the painting that you can’t appreciate its beauty. I think taking a step back to let the other half of ourselves live and figure it out really made us appreciate what we do even more.”
During the creation process, the trio all lived in different states. They remotely started sharing voice memos, titles and any ideas that circled. Their single “Sex, Drugs, Etc.” that was originally released on their EP Chit Chat back in 2016 resurfaced and took off on the charts. The song is now a number one hit and playing all over the radio on alternative stations such as KROQ. “What’s funny is that was the last song we put out before we took our break,” Santino recalls. “It was the last track off our Chit Chat EP and always was our personal favorite. So it’s only fitting that it was the song that got us to do this all over again.”
Late night telephone
Calling all wallflowers I know
Out the dark and into the light
Half love, half regret
dressing up for polaroids and cigarettes
socialize, romanticize the life
Floating on my low key vibe,
Floating on my low key vibe,
I don’t need that late night high
Cause I’m floating on my low key vibe
The summery track filled with a captivating hook and alluring sound that the world has come to love is just one of 11 on this album. Throughout Pineapple Sunrise fans can find other translucent and invigorating songs that touch upon a variety of themes. “Some songs have themes of being a recluse, staying home instead of socializing. While other songs are love letters like the two interlude songs ‘Desert Oasis’ and ‘Miss You,’” Santino explains. “‘Silent Type’ is more of an autobiographical song about where I came from.”
You can catch Beach Weather on the road this summer too. They’ll be joining lovelytheband’s “if we’re being honest” tour this summer. They’ll also be playing festivals such as BottleRock and Summerfest. Pineapple Sunrise can be found now, wherever you prefer your music!
“This record was therapy for us when we wrote it and now it’s yours to help you however it can,” Nick Santino shares. “Music is amazing.”
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:: stream/purchase Pineapple Sunrise here ::
Stream: ‘Pineapple Sunrise’ – Beach Weather
A CONVERSATION WITH BEACH WEATHER
Atwood Magazine: This is your debut album! How is it to finally have it out in the world?
Nick Santino: It is our debut album! We finished it a while ago now, so it feels amazing to have it out. It sounds different now knowing other people have it.
What was the inspiration for this album?
Nick Santino: I’d say this one was inspired most by inner dialogue. It’s a bit more introspective than previous stuff. I think the last few years made me personally go inward for answers more than seeking them in other people. This record, to me, feels more like the experience of meditating. Sometimes it’s relaxing while other days can’t be more of a struggle, I think that echoes throughout this record as some songs are more peaceful in spirit while others are a bit more self deprecating and come from a place of inner struggle.
How was the creative process for this album? I saw that you created it while living in three different states.
Nick Santino: Yeah we wrote this thing back in 2021. And it was completely written over FaceTime. Then we made simple demos and got together in June of 2021 to put it all together. We recorded it in its entirety from drums to vocals in 6 days. I think we were all in this flow state and things just happened naturally. Felt like we were just playing the role of an antenna and we just picked up frequencies all week and made a complete record.
Where did the name Pineapple Sunrise come from?
Nick Santino: We like to think Pineapple Sunrise is synonymous with a spiritual awakening in a sense. A spiritual awakening starts when a person is finally able to step back and “awake” or view their life with a new sense of being or purpose. So we created a fantasy land or a “happy place” and referred to it as Pineapple Sunrise. It’s just a way of expressing personal change and growth.
The artwork for this album is amazing. Is there a story behind it?
Nick Santino: Our long time and incredibly talented friend Rich Raun made it for us. To us, it symbolizes the meaning and emotions of the record. The aura person in the middle symbolizes that spiritual awakening with green relating to the heart chakra, which is the center of personal growth and healing, and the yellow relating to the solar plexus chakra, which rules our intellect, self-esteem and personal power. (Ps: This came from a Google search hahaha). While the beach behind them plays into the more literal side of our band.
I saw that the name Beach Weather comes from the bright and happy sound of your music but the deeper lyrics your music touches upon. How do you believe your name fits with the music presented in this album?
Nick Santino: I think our name is perfect for what we create. I look at it as a black light poster. You gotta be in the dark for the colors to be their brightest. We feel that way with our music.
Every single one of your songs are completely different, whether it is the sound, the theme or another creative element. What made you decide to give each song a completely different approach?
Nick Santino: I’ve always said that I don’t like to write the same song twice. I just can’t do it. My brain won’t allow me to. When I write a sad song I wanna write the opposite next. If we make a song that has more of an 80s feel to it, the next one I want to sound like a Strokes song or something. I like the challenge of creating something new and fresh. I’m always trying to outdo the previous song. While we are writing, we will write what we think is our best song and once it’s complete we try to write something even better next.
What are some of the themes and stories people can find on Pineapple Sunrise?
Nick Santino: I think a lot of it is based around personal growth. Being lost in a way and finding the path you’re supposed to be on. We all went through a few years of not so fun times. So I think this is just a product of those times. Some songs have themes of being a recluse, staying home instead of socializing. While other songs are love letters, like the two interlude songs “Desert Oasis” and “Miss You.” One is a love letter to a place (Phoenix) while the other was a text I sent my wife when she went back to work after maternity leave and wrote it into a song. While “Silent Type” is more of an autobiographical song about where I came from.
It’s not like I’m not ready to go
Just don’t want to go back home
2009 felt like a kiss in the dark
With closed eyes to keep from falling apart
I wish I could just disappear
It feels like burning in the atmosphere
I went to the moon and I fell back here
Just killing time
Yeah, I’ma keep it to myself
Maybe I was somewhere else
Fading in the summer sky
I wish I could disappear
Cause I been talkin to myself
Maybe I’m the silent type
Maybe I’m the silent type
I wish I could disappear now
What are you most excited for people to take away from or hear on your album?
Nick Santino: I just hope people find their new favorite album. I think we write for the people. We write songs for people to agree with and think, “Damn, this feels too real right now.” This record was therapy for us when we wrote it and now it’s yours to help you however it can. Music is amazing.
You all took a break for a while before creating Pineapple Sunrise and focused on family life and other personal avenues, how is it like not only being back but also creating music together again?
Nick Santino: It’s great. We all knew this is what we were supposed to do. Sometimes you need to take a step back to reprioritize things. Sometimes your face is so close to the painting that you can’t appreciate its beauty. I think taking a step back to let the other half of ourselves live and figure it out really made us appreciate what we do even more. Music is the only thing I want to do. And now I can share it with my two incredible kids. It just makes it all more worth it.
Your song “Sex, Drugs, Etc.” has been climbing on the charts. How was it like to see the outbreak of that single?
Nick Santino: What’s funny is that was the last song we put out before we took our break. It was the last track off our Chit Chat EP and always was our personal favorite. So it’s only fitting that it was the song that got us to do this all over again. I think it’s connecting because it’s a real song. It’s a song about anxiety and insecurities. I think in an age of being accepted by your peers, this song says “fuck you” and “let me do what I want to do.” And I’m here for it.
You are going on tour with lovelytheband and playing festivals within the next couple of months. What are you most excited about for the live shows?
Nick Santino: I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited to see the crowd reactions when we play SDE. It’s going to make me tear up I’m sure. But it’ll be nice to get back out there. None of us have toured much at all in the last 5 years, so it will be nice to get out there with new heads and fresh perspectives on everything. It’ll be nice to play these new songs live but we’re really excited to just meet new fans and see the impact our songs have on them. It’s an amazing feeling.
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:: stream/purchase Pineapple Sunrise here ::
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