Introducing: Halfway Atlantic

Austin, Texas-based pop-punk band Halfway Atlantic set out to differentiate themselves with explosive live shows led by a charismatic lead vocalist. They offer up a catchy brand of relatable, emotional pop-punk that they describe as “heartfelt, energetic and infectious.”

The band started out as a solo project of German vocalist Matt Wolf, which began to evolve into a fully-fledged band when he was joined by guitarist Paul Greenamyer. Guitarist Matt Bise and bassist Patrick McCrea joined the band around three years ago after finding a “musicians wanted” ad, before drummer completed the lineup Jake Rabin just over a year ago.

And on the sound they’ve honed since, Matt told us: “You can expect a combination of classic and modern pop punk packed with emotion, deeply personal lyrics, and tons of energy. We focus on writing songs that are catchy, great to sing along to, and lots of fun to play live while still being real and relatable.”

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Our first taste of this is their latest single You Said It, which features guest vocals from Fraser Simpson of Vancouver band Chief State. It opens up with chunky, punky guitar chords that continue under engaging chorus vocals “You said it, you meant it, It’s just so pathetic, I know now, you won’t come through.”

That drops into dual vocals, which are joined by stabbing guitar notes and lead into a catchy, slightly extended chorus. The pace drops a little with more laid-back vocals and building instrumentals, which flow into another chorus. It builds in intensity as Fraser’s vocals come in, before building up to a final blast of the chorus.

On the track, Matt said: “The reception has absolutely exceeded our expectations! We’re blown away by all the support we’ve received and are incredibly thankful to everyone who has checked it out. For anyone who hasn’t listened – expect an energetic pop-punk track with a catchy chorus offsetting some quite personal lyrical themes dealing with insecurities, unhealthy habits, and toxic relationships.” Check it out in the video here:

There’s plenty more where that came from as the band has a solid back catalogue of catchy punk tracks. That includes a couple of singles released earlier this year, such as the excellent Back To Austin, which features the vocals of Christina Murphy from fellow Austin band Forever Starts Today. Check it out in the video here:

They also released EP Drop Dead last year, which includes a personal favourite track There Is Nothing But Hope Anymore and the catchy title track, which you can check out in the video below:

Halfway Atlantic take influence from early and modern pop-punk bands, including the likes of Simple Plan, Yellowcard, New Found Glory, Jimmy Eat World, The Story So Far, Knuckle Puck. Intriguingly, they’re also trying to hone a darker, more alternative sound in their new batch of songs, akin to the likes of Silverstein or Senses Fail.

And on what inspires them to write music, Matt tells us: “We’re influenced by day-to-day struggles that pretty much everyone in their 20s-30s face. Issues with relationships, mental health, insecurities, battling personal demons, politics, and generally just trying to find a place in the world.”

There’s much more to come from Halfway Atlantic, starting with releasing four more songs and videos over the next few months. If you happen to be in the Dallas area on 29 October then you can catch them playing at the Halloween festival Pop Punk’s Not Dead at Amplified Live. And they’ll be back on the road for a few dates through November in Houston, San Antonio and Austin.

You can follow Halfway Atlantic on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and check out their music on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.