Plenty of Northport students are musically talented, but few actually release music. One band from Northport High School that released music a couple of years ago is Krunkis, which most upperclassmen can remember as being very popular in the school. More recently, sophomore Will McCartney has been getting some attention for his bass playing skills on the EP “Have a Nice Day”, released by Smileyband, a new Long Island based band. I sat down with Will to learn more about the artists behind these songs.
Smileyband includes the bass player Will, Gavin on vocals and guitar, and Dominic on the drums. Smileyband began in November when a drummer posted a story looking for a bassist. “Me being the person that I was, I wanted to be in a band for as long as I could remember,” remarked McCartney. Just recently, they released their EP Have a Nice Day.
Here, I’m going to provide a review of the EP (spoiler: I thought it was great), but first I recommend giving it a listen on Spotify or Apple Music.
The EP, as McCartney explained, tells the story of a young man who is struggling and resentful of the world. He’s fed up with being treated badly.
There are four tracks, starting with “dont come back.” As Will says, it was about “a lot of things.” I really enjoyed the repetition of the title and the screamo-inspired vocals. I feel like “don’t come back” starts the EP strong and the emotional nature of the track plays into the overall arc of the EP.
“Untitled” was a track about a breakup. I feel that it carries the same feelings expressed in the first track, yet it’s more direct and confrontational. The message of “don’t come back” contrasts with the line “I hate you”; One is a request, the other is a statement. Maybe this is a confrontation of who the first song is asking to leave? This song is much louder and I feel that it represents a climax of the EP.
“coming home” tells the story of the lead vocalist and guitarist’s depressive episode. I liked how the intro riff sort of interrupted the rest of the EP, as depression can often interrupt someone’s routine and life. I felt that the regretfully nostalgic sound really made this song a favorite of mine. It’s an amazing standalone song, as well as an important part of the EP. The instrumentals also really shined here. I liked the switching between the slower playing unique to this track and the quicker playing which felt nervous and a bit angry. To me, it felt like the person experiencing the EP was going through quick emotional swings. The vocals sound beautifully pained as though one is returning somewhere they no longer belong. The line “All here waiting for you” also made me wonder: is it the same “you” mentioned in the last track? All in all, this track has to be one of my favorites.
Last, “I’ll love you but I’ll never support you” feels like a complete tonal shift in the best way. This track is about the lead’s relationship with his father. “He loves Gavin, but he doesn’t ever support anything that he does,” says Will. This song feels very relatable and I felt that the beginning of the song reflected “coming home” but felt more rich and deep, almost as though the main character is coming to terms with his reality. I like how this song is almost a last goodbye given by someone numb and fed-up juxtaposed with the previous anger. To be angry is to care, so as the upset resolves itself, the main character is done with caring about people who don’t have his best interests at heart.
I really enjoyed this EP and I loved the journey the tracks show. Overall, I’d definitely recommend this EP. The band just released another new track and a demo of “dont come back,” so if you liked Have a Nice Day, also check that music out.
