GothBoiClique may have been founded on a mutual earnest appreciation for the critically dismissed corners of rock music that they ultimately built their collective on contemporizing—namely pop-punk and emo—but there’s also always been a strong element of brooding post-punk lining the work of each of its members. On his latest solo album, co-founder Cold Hart is fully leaning into that influence as Pretty in the Dark takes the shape of a two-act autobiography exploring personal themes from the artist’s life by blending—or presenting separately—hard-hitting trap beats and frigid instrumentals built around coldwave’s bass and electronic percussion.
In contrast to his peer Wicca Phase Springs Eternal exploring a Rolodex of sounds ranging from country ballads to breakbeats on his self-titled album from last year, Pretty in the Dark remains focused as it transitions from fairly conventional cloud rap to electric-guitar-led confessionals. Aided by the production prowess of GBC cardholder Yawns, nostalgia runs through these 12 tracks like life blood, whether it be musical nods to Pornography-era The Cure or an upbeat homage to GothBoiClique themselves as heard on the the mid-’10s-recalling opener, where piloting a Benz with Mackned and the Gus Gang and bumping Wicca Phase was as good as it gets.
With the album out today via Epitaph Records, Cold Hart walked us through each track on Pretty in the Dark, discussing samples and influences as well as the more personal lyrical elements explored on each song. Listen and read along below.
1. “2017”
I’ve always wanted to make this song somehow, and this was the perfect time because it starts off the album so fans can get that nostalgia of the old GBC themes. I wrote it as if I was recalling that time, and to us 2015 – ’18 was like our ’70s and ’80s, if that makes sense. It was a crazy time with so much music and freedom and all types of different artists linking and collaborating. Kids were coming up off songs they made with just laptops and filming videos with iPhones, genres were blending, drugs didn’t have fentanyl in them yet; it was an insane time.
2. “Candlelight, Part 2”
Continuing with the nostalgia theme, Yawns had showed me the beat and said he imagined a “Candle Light” flow on it and it instantly inspired me to make a part-two of that song. That’s something I’ve always wanted to do as well: make a part-two or a remix of an old song. Andrew Dawson really made the song epic with the dramatic ending: Instead of the beat just playing out, it descends out, adding to the gothic-lullaby aspect of it.
3. “Rap Show”
So the first half of the album is almost like a memoir of the old days, because I finally feel like I can talk about it. This song samples Dear Nora’s “I Don’t Know What to Say” as though it was written in the late ’90s/2000s. It resonated with me and Yawns so much when Katy Davidson says, “I don’t know what to say to all the people who have come here for the rap show.” GBC always existed in between the worlds of rock and rap, so coming up we were playing lots of rap shows. In this song I talk about how being in the crowd and being a little anxious turns out to be so much more fun than tryna be cool and go backstage and all that. I want kids to really enjoy the experience of shows.
4. “Bag of Hearts”
This is when the album starts to shift toward the more post-punk and dreamy stuff. The song was inspired by a lot of occult themes mixed with psychedelic stuff, because I love those two things and so does Yawns. But I don’t like hippie stuff, so we had to bring that industrial dark-type vibe with the guitar and drums. It’s pretty much a metaphor for when you love someone so much that everyone else is forgotten—hence the lyrics “A bag of hearts I throw away.”
5. “What Remains”
Yawns didn’t show me this beat at first because it was just a simple one-minute draft. Once he did show me, though, I instantly liked it and just got on it as it was and looped the instrumental. This one has an ’80s vibe to it. It’s about not having any interest in worldly things anymore, but one person makes you feel that hope again. It could also represent the love for a pet or hobby or whatever—you know, whatever inspires you in this cruel world.
6. “Pretty in the Dark”
This one could be used in a movie, for real. Me and Yawns listened to a lot of The Cure’s older stuff, specifically their live TV performances and the song “Cold”—this song reminds me of that a lot. The phrase “pretty in the dark” can be taken in any way you want, but I see it as embracing the darkness and finding beauty in the stillness of dark and desolate places. I’ve been obsessed with liminal spaces, too, and the feeling of familiarity in images and words.
7. “TSOM”
This one is my personal favorite off the album, the sound of memories. Right away you can tell it’s got a hypnotic groove that’s somewhat haunting. Sometime last fall, me and Yawns took a road trip to Houston in a Dodge Ram rental after playing a show in Austin, and around 9 or 10 p.m. I’d like to say we were car-testing this song. It was so foggy and empty around, and it was amazing to see, like, “Damn this is why we made this song—for moments like this.” And in the song I say, “Creeping in just like the fog, searching I just wander on / Driving down a barren road, voices of you lead me home.” And it hit so hard at that moment. This song, though, was inspired by movie scenes where they reminisce about the past and everything’s echoey and blurry.
8. “Gazer”
“Gazer” is so lit to play live—this has become my favorite to perform. It’s got the upbeat energy and driving guitar and the little high vocals. It’s the best. It was inspired by living out on Long Island and being right by the ocean, and though I grew up in Long Beach also being surrounded by the water, it’s different out here because of the forest setting and the history and all the old worn down haunted-looking houses. I say, “I don’t know what is next, but right here’s where I’m supposed to be.” And I find myself thinking that all the time and reassuring myself that I don’t need to overthink everything.
9. “Bold Riley”
This one is so epic-sounding because we actually used the same sounds from “Love Lockdown” by Kanye when we remade the beat at Andrew Dawson’s studio. But me and Yawns originally came up with it on a trip out to Montauk to a lighthouse at the end of the island, and it got me in that mood to make a sea shanty—but, like, in my own way. My sea shanty is a metaphor for the musician/artist life, because sometimes it’s more pain than glory (a lot of times, actually), but you choose it still.
10. “My Tasks Alone”
“Clumsy and my face is red / Frustrated, I hate when I look like this / But I love how you look tonight.” That line is what this song is about: me getting Asian glow when I get drunk. This song is like the closest to me and Yawns making a real pop song.
11. “Bottle Run Dry”
I lied earlier: This and “TSOM” are tied for my favorite songs on the album. The original samples Boyz II Men’s “Water Runs Dry,” but with Cali trap drums—so when I heard it I instantly knew I had to kill it. My version is similar to the original where it’s about keeping that puppy-love-phase energy in the later stages of the relationship. Like, if I chose you, I’m not ever tryna start over with someone new. I’m tryna start over with you and keep you on your toes until we old as hell. And even then, let’s not let this bottle run dry! Life keeps passing by.
12. “Lightheaded”
End-of-the-movie type thing made with my old friend Bones. He was actually the first person to put me onto this music world back when I was only a producer. This song is about when you and your significant other are fighting and mad at each other, but you can’t sleep still because you still worry and care about them. Sometimes you forget that your end goals are the same and don’t even know why you’re fighting still. “So I’ll stay awake ’til we get it right.” You feel me? Like that old saying: “Don’t go to bed mad at each other.” Stay awake and work it out.
