“The end of the year brings a time of great reflection. You mull over the highs and the lows and the in-betweens. Indie-rock singer-songwriter Nick Aranda, guitarist of Paper Route (currently on hiatus) and now known professionally as Vacay Nick, steps back to consider what 2019 has wrought,” American Songwriter‘s Jason Scott wrote. “His new song and video, ‘Good Riddance,’ is a mellow, easy listening guitar jam that celebrates the good as much as the bad… An overcast mood stands in stark contrast to the colorful chorus of inflatable arm flailing tube men, a playful way of finding a silver lining. Aranda’s voice rises somber and plaintive, and yet his words carry a considerable bite. ‘Things were looking up / But now they’re f*ing done,’ he sings. Imposing grey clouds loom overhead, but like all storms, these too shall pass. ‘Good riddance to the bad times.'”
Filmed and directed by Aranda’s wife, Bree Marie Fish (Dan Auerbach, Josie Dunne) and featuring Paramore‘s Zac Farro on drums, the “Good Riddance” visual and single announced the Nashville-based alt rock act’s forthcoming debut album, Off Days, expected in early 2020.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Aranda is no stranger to the spotlight. Signing his first record deal fresh out of high school, the now 34-year-old has been on the road touring with various bands ever since. With Paper Route, he’s had Billboard-charting singles, music featured in major motion pictures and ad placements, and tour slots alongside Paramore, Imagine Dragons, and Mutemath, to name a few, but 2019 finally found Aranda with enough free time to make the solo record he’s always dreamed of creating. Now, armed with a fitting moniker (quite literally vacationing as Vacay Nick) and his veteran musicianship, he’s ready to send off the past by celebrating the future.
“’Good Riddance’ is about that crystallizing moment when you take stock on feelings, like you do at the end of each year, and all the highs and lows sort of flatten into either cheers or curses,” he explains. “It’s not necessarily about forgetting the hard times— there’s usually some good in the bad, and even a ‘good riddance’ is a welcome thing— but it’s about choosing not to let the bitterness of stale dreams, severed bands, or broken hearts influence the future. It’s discovering that ends hold less power than beginnings. So, shed your calloused skin.”
“Good Riddance” available now via SoundCloud, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, Tidal, Deezer, and Google Play with the accompanying video streaming on YouTube.