Drowning in Memories (album)

Drowning in Memories is the self-titled debut studio album by American pop punk band Drowning in Memories.

## Background

Drowning in Memories was formed in 2019 by friends Jackson Kelley, frontman and guitarist for Midnight Thunder and Cooper Hertz. Formerly a side project of Kelley, it became a full-time thing when Midnight Thunder broke up. Kelley and Hertz bonded over bands and Kelley reached out to Hertz to join his band, which he accepted. The album is a collection of the band's first three EP's.

## Recording

Rob Cavallo produced the album in his studio in early 2022. Jackson Kelley said his influences on the album were Green Day, blink-182, All Time Low, Weezer, Sum 41, The All-American Rejects, and The Wonder Years.

## Music and Lyrics

The lyrical composition mainly focuses on loneliness, mental health, and depression. The opening track, Dennis Goodloe is a Moron and Needs to Be Kicked in the Balls, was originally titled Nick Stone is a Bad Friend, and is the only song to make the rewrite of the album. The song Wait a Minute, This Sounds Like Rock and/or Roll is about Jackson Kelley's rage at not being invited anywhere in his teenage years. He said, "I looked at Instagram and saw some girls in my grade at a skating rink. Now, naturally, I was angry, so I made a sarcastic comment on the post.". Once Again My Life Has Been Saved by the Miracle of Lasagna was originally about Kelley's rage towards a homophobe at his school, but he scrapped the concept and merged two songs called Another Hope, Another Light and Maybe This Isn't the End, with some lyrics about his deceased grandfather. You Tell Those Tree Branches Who's Boss is about Kelley denying help when he needs it and him blowing second chances. The Benefits of Keeping Headphones in During School Assemblies is about Kelley observing all the people around him and how they used to treat him. Tyrannosaurs in F-14s! is the first of Kelley's mental health being addressed in songs and it is about his loneliness and how he has no one to rely on. My Husband and His Indestructible Head is "the most pop punk song I've ever written", says Kelley, with lyrics about leaving town and not looking back. Choir Kids Get All the Girls is about Kelley sinking into depression. What Did I Tell You About Using the Bell for Comedic Purposes? is about being decieved by someone you loved. Avant-Garde Taco Restaurants is a song about how Kelley wonders how people think of him as an inspiration despite his flaws and peeks into his mental health again. The Problem With Having Friends in Other Continents was written after Kelley and his girlfriend at the time talked, who thought she was to blame for his loneliness. You're Just the Fish Guy. Everyone Thinks You're a Joke. is about how people seemed to only like Kelley when he got angry. The final track, Getting the Gang Back Together, is about Kelley wanting to reunite his old group of friends, with the line, "the cause of the demise was me", being a line that meant if anyone felt they killed a friendship, this line relates to them.

## Artwork

The cover shows a bicycle lying down in the middle of the road, an homage to the self titled album by The All-American Rejects.

## Track Listing

1. Dennis Goodloe is a Moron and Needs To Be Kicked in the Ballsack
2. Wait a Minute, This Sounds Like Rock and/or Roll
3. Once Again My Life Has Been Saved by the Miracle of Lasagna
4. You Tell Those Tree Branches Who's Boss
5. The Benefits of Keeping Headphones in During School Assemblies
6. Tyrannosaurs in F-14's!
7. My Husband and His Indestructible Head
8. Choir Kids Get All the Girls
9. What Did I Tell You About Using the Bell for Comedic Purposes?
10. Avant-Garde Taco Restaurants
11. The Problem With Having Friends in Other Continents
12. You're Just the Fish Guy. Everyone Thinks You're a Joke.
13. Getting the Gang Back Together

## Personnel

* Jackson Kelley - vocals, guitar, bass
* Cooper Hertz - drums