“Why do we always want something more than what we have?” As Grouplove co-vocalist Christian Zucconi explains, this is the question at the center of I Want It All Right Now, the band’s sixth album and first since the one-two punch of 2020’s Healer and 2021’s This Is This. As their familiarly colorful pop-rock instrumentation pairs with Zucconi’s emotional vocal delivery, the track introduces Grouplove’s latest chapter as a boisterous yet lyrically prodding investigation of their inner lives.
While the choruses across the record reach for the rafters just as much as they did on early breakout singles “Colours” and “Tongue Tied,” the themes on I Want It All Right Now are largely comprised of candid meditations on what Zucconi and co-vocalist Hannah Hooper are reaching for in life—as a band, as individuals, as romantic partners, and, most recently, as parents. Rather than voicing these questions over minimal acoustic accompaniment, though, they’re competing with some of the band’s most energetic and experimental soundscapes to date, each of the 11 tracks more unexpected than the next.
With the album arriving today via their new label home of Glassnote Records, Zucconi and Hooper took a moment to walk us through the internal monologues that formed the foundation for each track. From introspective neon-lit ballads to penultimate track “Climb,” which serves as a sort of outward-facing pep talk to listeners, read through their notes below.
1. “All”
Christian: We knew immediately that this was going to be the first song on the record and ultimately the title track. This song speaks to what we were trying to understand about ourselves while making this album. It’s our way of asking, “Why do we always want something more than what we have?” So many of us are stuck in this perpetual cycle of seeking some type of validation or fulfillment from the outside world when it’s very possible that everything we need already exists within us.
Hannah: The image on the [album] cover came to me from the song “All.” In the song we’re asking, “What is your ‘all,’ the thing you’ve spent your life working toward?” The idea was to paint this starlet who seems like she’s the epitome of beauty and success and the whole concept of “having it all”—but if you look at the expression on her face, she’s miserable. The truth is that we get so caught up in trying to get what we want in life, we lose touch with what we really need.
2. “Cheese”
Christian: I came up with that chorus when we were all hanging out at Hannah’s parents’ place in Northern California, which is this idyllic spot in the woods. I was feeling the pressure of how quickly time is passing, and it turned into a song about the importance of holding onto the small things and keeping them close to your heart.
3. “Malachi”
Hannah: I wrote “Malachi” when I was feeling so overwhelmed but instead of trying to look inward, I was pushing back against everything. In the overall arc of the healing process, that’s the peak of resistance. There’s this element of suffering in “Malachi,” knowing that right over the mountain top is growth if you can just make it to the top. But when you’re in it, it's a really hard place to be. Whenever someone is going through a really hard time, right after that is the growth. “You just have to get through this,” and on the other side is freedom.
4. “Hello”
Hannah: Ben, our drummer, makes amazing beats, so sometimes we’ll do this thing where he plays me an idea and I’ll start singing right away and “Hello” came from one of those moments. So when we were in the studio, Ben and I knew we had this demo and decided to break it out the last day and mess around with it. Initially there was no plan for “Hello” to be on the record, so there was this real free and casual feeling that we were done with the album so let’s see where this goes in the studio. We went into the lounge and just wrote the chorus on the spot. It’s funny because it feels so lighthearted, like a sing-along, but if you listen, it’s all about feeling lost and alone and wanting so badly for people to look up and connect.
5. “Eyes”
Christian: A song about love. A song about leaving LA. A song about time passing and how we want to spend it. A song about death. “Eyes” explores the fleeting nature and impermanence of life. If I were to die tomorrow, the only thing that truly matters is that I surround myself with love and give love.
Hannah: In the album sequence, there’s a push and pull of chaos in the first four songs. “Eyes” is where the album starts to transition into this realization and discovery that we need to surrender. And let love in. Time runs out, but love doesn’t.
6. “Billie”
Christian: I’ve surrendered, now how can I surrender more? What is a tool I can use? “Billie” is a mantra to help you come down when you lose your shit.
Hannah: There’s something calming about “Billie.” My voice in this song is there to lure you down to a place of safety. When you have that feeling of a panic attack, when you can’t calm down...this is that song to remind you that we all go there and to remember that you don’t have to stay there.
7. “Tryin’”
Hannah: When you’re not trying, what are you doing, quitting? Or giving up? Or you’ve made it? Is there a point where you don’t have to try anymore? That's the scary thing. I think trying is beautiful.
Christian: This song is us saying that we want to keep fighting and put in the effort to make this world a better place to live in. It’s not easy, but it’s absolutely worth it.
8. “Cream”
Christian: This was the first song we wrote that captured how I want to feel, rather than what I was trying to leave behind. It’s a song of complete surrender and pleasure, of feeling so connected to a greater purpose and a greater energy than the superficial world that I was constantly battling. As we were all singing it together, it felt immediately healing.
Hannah: This is the song on the album where we’ve reached the point of full surrender. This is when you’re like, “I can feel otherworldly, I can feel pleasure, I can feel like I’m just floating through outer space.” There’s no pressure to do, to be, to try, to fail, to heal. You’re like, “Oh my god, this is the best feeling.”
9. “Francine”
Hannah: “Francine” is about getting my power back and coming out the other side. There’s a joy to the song, in that feeling of, “I know myself now, I know what I need and I can take care of myself. I don’t need the world to take care of me.” When we were recording “Francine” in the studio we all were talking about high school and how we felt at that stage in our lives and how we felt in our bodies and around other people. All of us, whether we knew it or not, had a “Francine.” Someone who pushed us out of our comfort zone, brought us around people where we didn’t feel like we could be ourselves—they’re someone who we looked up to and also feared a little. This is a song about going back and changing the way we spoke to ourselves. It’s about understanding how short life is, so we need to love ourselves right now.
10. “Climb”
Hannah: We loved writing this song because it’s the essence of our name: Grouplove. Our music is all about building a supportive, loving community. There’s this funny line in the song, “We’ll be here to climb inside your head.” When we were writing it, I was just imagining little versions of us getting in peoples’ ears, encouraging, and cheering them on.
11. “Wall”
Christian: The album starts with “I Want It All Right Now,” and it ends with me or whoever sitting on this wall deciding what they want. You’re back at square one and have this decision to make. At the end of the day you’re all alone with your thoughts and your thoughts kinda dictate the outcome of your life. And you have this choice to pursue your truth. And when I’m sitting on this wall I really always hope I make the right decision.
