Atlanta 5-piece, Messing have released their debut album, Couldn’t Be Better. The album, which can be heard now below, serves as a collection of new wave pop punk songs about trying, and often failing, to grow up. The album was produced by TJ Elias at Big Trouble Recording Studio, who has worked with alternative giants like Manchester Orchestra, Grouplove, and Walk the Moon.
“A lot of the songs were inspired by my time and experiences in Atlanta’s music scene, but as a whole they tend to capture images and moments that 20-somethings can universally relate to,” says vocalist Mac Hunt. “It’s fun, it’s not pretentious, and it’s not trying to be something it isn’t. It’s our first record and we’re really proud of it.”
Messing has set out to make sure their debut album Couldn’t Be Better is anything but boring. The group consists of Mac Hunt, who spent the greater part of the last decade operating one of Atlanta’s prominent DIY venues, aptly titled “Mac’s Basement,” where he connected with bassist Cooper Greenlee. As Hunt’s previous band began to decline the pair retreated to Greenlee’s home studio, where together they wrote the majority of their album.
Hunt and Greenlee took those demos to producer/engineer TJ Elias at Big Trouble Recording Studio, who lent his expertise to craft a signature sound that could capture both mainstream and fringe audiences. The result was a ten song LP which, with the help of a rotating cast of featured Atlanta musicians from bands such as Grouplove, MIGHTY, World’s Greatest Dad, Brother Hawk, and Microwave, brought Hunt and Greenlee’s demos to life in a very exciting way.
Messing has a busy year of releases ahead of them, including a follow-up EP, also recorded at Big Trouble during the height of the pandemic. With new additions Anna Messick (drums), Laura Wilson (keys), and Keenan Cosner (guitar), Messing has begun a series of live shows leading up to the album release.