Longtime Coastal Reverb favorites Rain On Fridays have steadily established themselves as one of San Diego's most compelling indie rock outfits, delivering a potent blend of pop punk, alternative, and emo-tinged songwriting with plenty of heart and attitude. Comprised of bassist/vocalist Madi Coe, guitarist Jesse Miller, and drummer Louie Noel, the trio have built an impressive catalog over the years, including two excellent full-length albums in 2019's Mono Monday and 2024's Death to Affection. Now they're back with “Interstate,” a pensive yet exhilarating indie-punk anthem that showcases the band's talents in full force.
Here, Miller's blazing guitar riffs collide with Noel's sharp, intricately calibrated rhythms, while Coe delivers another wonderfully expressive vocal performance, balancing moments of wistful introspection with an emphatic, soaring chorus: “I say you're fine, I say you're doing fine.” Beneath its infectious hooks and driving energy lies an existential road song steeped in nostalgia and the bittersweet passage of time, with lyrics evoking cigarette burns, bridges off the interstate, and the fading days of summer, all while questioning why “you were trying so damn hard to begin with.” The accompanying music video is equally terrific, intercutting rowdy footage of the band cruising down backroads in the bed of a friend's pickup truck with visceral, strobe-lit performance sequences, all shot and edited with an appropriately frenetic flair. It's a thrilling reminder of the trio's chemistry and songwriting prowess, and easily one of Rain On Fridays' best tracks to date. Give the video for “Interstate” a spin below, and catch the band performing alongside Couch Dog at the Voodoo Room on December 4!
