The band has released three EPs, two of which (Airplane Conversations & Black Light) were released independently with one released via Equal Vision (Cluster). Additionally, the band has released five studio albums (Double Dare, Entertainment, FANDOM, Greatest Hits and INTELLECUAL PROPERTY).
On November 6, 2015, the band signed with Equal Vision Records. After searching for producers, the band became managed by Benji Madden and Joel Madden. On November 6, 2015, the band released "Crave", the lead single off their first project with Equal Vision, the Cluster EP. On January 15, 2016, the group released Cluster, which was co-produced by Benji Madden and Courtney Ballard, with bass being performed by Mikey Way of My Chemical Romance. On November 19, 2015, the band performed with Good Charlotte during the group's comeback performance at The Troubadour in West Hollywood, California.
The group performed on the Black Cat Tour supporting Never Shout Never in 2016, and on every date of the 2016 Warped Tour. The band also performed on the End The Madness Tour supporting Sleeping with Sirens in late 2016. They played Slam Dunk festival in 2016 and 2017, and went on a headline tour of the UK with support from Chapel and The Bottom Line, selling out all dates. They toured the US in late 2017, with support from As It Is, Chapel and Sleep On It.
The group released a single titled "Stupid For You" on August 31, 2016 in promotion of their debut album, Double Dare, which was released on November 4, 2016. The album consists of 13 songs, and was preceded by 3 singles: "Stupid For You"; "Hawaii (Stay Awake)"; and "Royal". On January 26, 2017, the band released their second studio album Entertainment. The album includes 10 tracks, and was preceded by the singles "Blonde", "Lucky People", and "Not Warriors".
You write a record, go on tour, endure a very public breakup, and pen more songs about what happened. Sound familiar? Well, this story sort of starts that way right before it makes a total 180 degree turn on a dime.
...
Rather than talk about โdoing something different", Waterparks actually did. On the heels of landing their biggest chart and critical success to date on 2018โs Entertainment, the Houston, TX three piece - Awsten Knight [vocals, guitar], Otto Wood [drums], and Geoff Wigington [guitar] commenced writing again before scrapping everything. They reconfigured the vision, recalibrated the entire approach, and reinvented themselves. By doing so, the boys boldly break down walls between rock, pop, punk, hip-hop, alternative, indie, electronic, and even R&B with hashtaggable hooks and a level of gleeful playlist hopping mischief on their third full length, and Hopeless Records debut, FANDOM. They went on the FANDOM Tour in 2019 and 2020, before the rest of the tour being cancelled. However, they recorded one of the shows, and released their first live album, FANDOM: LIVE IN THE UK in late 2020.
Then on September 25, 2020, the band released their first single since FANDOM, "Lowkey as Hell", and announced they had signed to 300 Entertainment. Then, on February 26, 2021, they released "Snow Globe", and announced their fourth studio album, Greatest Hits. Four additional singles preceded the album's release: "Numb", "You'd Be Paranoid Too (If Everyone Was Out To Get You)", "Just Kidding", and "Violet!". And on May 21, 2021, Greatest Hits was released. They reinvented themselves once again, making an album with influences from genres like hyperpop, pop, hip-hop, rock, punk, alternative, indie and even electronic and r&b. Since then, Greatest Hits has topped charts, gotten 25 million streams and and has led the band to perform on MTV. Waterparks has also started touring again, doing meet and greet shows in places like LA, NYC, Orlando, Baltimore, Houston, Seattle, Portland and Minneapolis. They also went on the A Night Out on Earth tour in fall 2021 across America with Zeph, Phem and Arrested Youth as openers.
Then, they started teasing new music. Awsten started an online clothing brand called Hii-Def. Then on March 9th, it was announced that the band was going on tour opening for My Chemical Romance on five dates (Albany, Montreal, Toronto on two nights, Los Angeles). Later that month, they announced they were going to play Sad Summer Fest from July 8th till August 5th across America with bands like State Champs, Mayday Parade, Hot Mulligan, Neck Deep and more. Then, in May they announced they had signed to Fueled by Ramen. Following that, they released the 1st single off of their fifth studio album, entitled FUNERAL GREY on May 14th, 2022.
During June, they went on the See You in The Future tour in Europe with Bad Suns and Phem as openers. They then went on the Sad Summer fest and released SELF-SABOTAGE on July 7, 2022, the same day as the 1st show of SSF in Sacramento. A week after starting the SSF tour, they announced they were opening for Blackbearโs Nothing Matters tour in September. On October 14th, 2022, they released FUCK ABOUT IT (feat. blackbear), the third single off their fifth studio album. On November 22, they announced the title of their fifth album, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. On January 26th, 2023, they released the fourth single from INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, REAL SUPER DARK, and announced that their fifth album would be released on April 14, 2023. In advance of the album, they released one more single, BRAINWASHED, on March 9th, 2023. On April 14, 2023, the album was released. In support of the album, the band will embark on The Property Tour, spanning late April to June 2023, with openers being HUNNY, Daisy Grenade, Elliot Lee, and Sophie Powers. On October 11, 2023, Waterparks released an unreleased INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY track, SNEAKING OUT OF HEAVEN, after repeatedly teasing the song on social media.
Gloom Boys
Waterparks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The only time I write
Is when I'm stressed or sad
And turn out the light
I'm afraid I messed up
And I'm not worth my blisters
Because birthdays and Christmas
Are not on my wish list
I like happy songs
With titles that don't match at all
So spin the bottle in your brain
And match your weakness with a name
You're so cold
I've got to know
What made you so
Scared to be alone?
I've got to know
Who chilled your bones
That wasn't me
When I feel brave
And gather my words
My speech I gripped
Starts to slip and slur
I don't want this black cloud anymore
I don't want this dead doubt anymore
Weighing me down
Stressing me out
I like happy songs
With titles that don't match at all
So spin the bottle in your brain
And match your weakness with a name
I like happy songs that sound nice
Even with their words like dog bites
Cutting through my hands
'Cause feeling is a rare thing for me
On my ceiling
You're so cold
I've got to know
What made you so
Scared to be alone?
I've got to know
Who chilled your bones
That wasn't me
I brought a knife to a gunfight
I brought my words to a fistfight
I brought my hell to you
And now the boys are back
The boys are sad
You're so cold
I've got to know
What made you so
Scared to be alone?
I've got to know
Who chilled your bones
That wasn't me
The song โGloom Boysโ by Waterparks starts with the singer expressing how they only write songs when they are feeling stressed or sad. The lyrics suggest the singer is not feeling confident in their own abilities as they doubt themselves and question whether they are worth the trouble they go through to create music. The line "because birthdays and Christmas are not on my wish list" could indicate the singerโs inability to enjoy the things that most people would usually look forward to.
The following lyrics describe how the singer likes happy songs despite their dark titles. They encourage the listener to look for beauty in even the darkest situations by โspinning the bottleโ of their brains and naming their weakness. The chorus โYouโre so cold, Iโve got to know, what made you so scared to be aloneโ suggests that the singer empathises with the audience and wants to understand their pain to better connect with them.
The song continues with the singer expressing how they get nervous when they share their words and how the black cloud of self-doubt brings them down. The lyrics also suggest that the singer has trouble feeling emotions which is why they gravitate towards happy songs. The reference to the boys being back and sad in the last verse could signify the singerโs relationship with their fans and how they are trying to relate to their audience and build a connection.
Line by Line Meaning
It's kind of messed up
The situation is difficult and not clear.
The only time I write
I feel the need to write only when I'm stressed and sad.
Is when I'm stressed or sad
I only write when I feel this way.
And turn out the light
I prefer to write in the dark.
I'm afraid I messed up
I'm fearful that I have made a mistake.
And I'm not worth my blisters
I don't think I am good enough for the tough work that I do.
Because birthdays and Christmas
I am not interested in the commonly celebrated holidays.
Are not on my wish list
I don't have any specific wants or desires for those days.
I like happy songs
I prefer listening to happy music.
With titles that don't match at all
The title has no relation to the lyrics of the happy song.
So spin the bottle in your brain
Think about your thoughts and emotions like playing spin the bottle.
And match your weakness with a name
Find a word or term that adequately explains and represents your weaknesses.
You're so cold
You seem distant and unemotional.
I've got to know
I need to understand why you act this way.
What made you so
What caused you to act this way?
Scared to be alone?
Do you fear being alone?
Who chilled your bones
Who made you feel this way?
That wasn't me
I wasn't the one who caused this feeling.
When I feel brave
When I muster the courage to speak up.
And gather my words
When I am trying to collect my thoughts to speak.
My speech I gripped
I hold onto my words tightly and with conviction.
Starts to slip and slur
My speech becomes muddled and unclear.
I don't want this black cloud anymore
I don't want to feel negative and anxious anymore.
I don't want this dead doubt anymore
I don't want to have doubts and uncertainties that weigh me down.
Weighing me down
Dragging and holding me back.
Stressing me out
Causing me stress and anxiety.
I like happy songs that sound nice
I prefer music that has a pleasant sound.
Even with their words like dog bites
Even when the lyrics may not be pleasant or positive.
Cutting through my hands
Negatively affecting me, despite my attempts to block it out.
'Cause feeling is a rare thing for me
I don't often feel emotions.
On my ceiling
My negative feelings follow me, even into my personal space.
I brought a knife to a gunfight
I am entering into a situation with a disadvantage.
I brought my words to a fistfight
I am using language to try and resolve a physical conflict.
I brought my hell to you
The negative things in my life are affecting you.
And now the boys are back
The boys are back, possibly referring to negative feelings, anxiety, depression.
The boys are sad
The boys are feeling down or negative.
Contributed by Nicholas O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@itzjesshey
me the entire time: what the fuck
@robbietl8538
First taste of waterparks?
@itzjesshey
it actually isn't, they're one of my favorite bands๐๐ it was like a "what the fuck" but also laughing at their dumbasses the entire time x
@Kevinsmoonlight
itzjesshey literally same and I've known about them for nearly 2 years or so? They're so unpredictable and wild I love it
@ana-tv1nc
itzjesshey same lmao
@mwilkes092
๐๐๐I literally died at your comment
@aimeeunavailable
"slow down jellybean" is the cutest thing i've ever heard wtf
@morreac
Aimee Worrall i liked this so it could have 420 likes
@jenniferbunn9415
It was adorable
@amazingamilia2343
Omg I couldn't fucking stop playing it over and over again.