Good Luck (band)

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Not to be confused with GoodLuck (band).
Good Luck (band)
OriginBloomington, Indiana
Genrespop-punk, folk-punk, emo, indie rock
Years active2008-2012
LabelsNo Idea Records
Members
  • Ginger Alford
  • Mike Harpring
  • Matt Tobey

Good Luck is a pop-punk band from Bloomington, IN. The band is composed of three members: Ginger Alford, Matt Tobey and Mike Harpring. The band has released two studio albums, Into Lake Griffy in 2008 and Without Hesitation in 2011, along with an EP in 2010.[1] As of 2020, the band is no longer actively touring or producing new music, although the band's social media pages are maintained and updated with occasional performances and information on other projects worked on by band members.[2][3]

History[edit]

Formation[edit]

The band grew out of the folk-punk scene in Bloomington, IN. The band discovered their name on the front steps of a fraternity house in Bloomington, from the phrase 'Good Luck Riders,' in reference to the Little 500, an annual bike race at Indiana University. Band member Ginger Alford has described the name as giving off "a good clear message.”[4]

According to writer David Anthony at The A.V. Club, the Good Luck developed a different sound than many other folk-punk bands in the area:

"While many Bloomington bands were excelling in acoustic guitars and ramshackle recordings, Good Luck felt like a maturation of that movement, bringing in a technical ability that superseded its peers but didn’t take away from its ability to make fans feel at home in its songs."[5]

Into Lake Griffy (2008)[edit]

shallow lake, trees visible in the background
Griffy Lake, the reservoir the album is named after.

The first work done together by the group resulted in their inaugural album, Into Lake Griffy in 2008. The album was recorded between February and April 2008 at Russian Recording in Nashville, IN.[6] The album was recorded, engineered, and mixed by Mike Bridavsky, the owner of celebrity cat Lil Bub.[5][6] It was self-released on May 18, 2008, by the band online and as a CD. On March 8, 2009, No Idea Records released a digital and LP version of the album.[7][8]

The album was well-received within folk-punk, pop-punk, emo and indie rock communities, resulting in enough national attention to support multiple US tours and one international tour.[4][9] Reviewers from Punknews.org called it "the best album [they've] heard this year."[10] Reviewer Ian Sallee from independent publication Mind Equals Blown said of their work:

"Most people associate Good Luck with just being a great punk band, but they will have their socks literally knocked off of them after listening to Into Lake Griffy... Matt Tobey, Ginger Alford, and Mike Harpring were all accomplished musicians prior to the forming of Good Luck. But their balance and collaborative efforts have led them down a path of righteousness, into territory that no pop or punk band has charted before."[11]

Sputnikmusic gave the album an excellent review, saying "Good Luck's influence are too many to count which makes for a beautifully unique and full album."[12]

The album's name is a reference to Griffy Lake, a reservoir in the city of Bloomington, Indiana.

Demonstration 2010 and Without Hesitation (2011)[edit]

On March 13, 2010, the band released a four-song EP entitled Demonstration 2010, for digital download and streaming on Bandcamp. It includes three original songs and a cover of the 1980s Prince song "When You Were Mine."[13][14]

Following Demonstration 2010, the band released a second studio album, Without Hesitation, in 2011.[15] The album was recorded mixed between March and July 2011 and released on October 26th, also for streaming and digital download on Bandcamp.[16] It was also released by No Idea Records as an LP, CD, and for digital download on November 22, 2011.[17]

Unlike Into Lake Griffy, in which nearly all lyrics, vocals, and instrumentation were from the band's three members, Without Hesitation features writing and contributions from a number of other musicians and friends of the band, including Justin Hubler on piano and Toby Foster playing euphonium.[16] It also features cover art by artist Nate Powell in collaboration with photographer Ben Rains.[18] Although Without Hesitation received positive reviews from critics, including from punk zine Some Will Never Know, PunkRockTheory, and Under The Gun Review.[19][20][21]

The members of the band have also produced a number of independent, solo, and collaborative work as members of other musical groups.[22]

Tours and live performances[edit]

Following the success of Into Lake Griffy, the band went on a number of tours, including a West Coast tour, East Coast tour and multiple tours in the Midwestern United States.[2] They also completed a U.K. tour in 2008. The band has said they have a "subdued approach" to touring.[4]

The band opened for Oregon-based indie band The Thermals in October 2010 at Rhino's Youth Media Center in Bloomington, IN.[4]

Following the release of Without Hesitation, the band embarked on a tour throughout the Midwestern and Eastern United States in May, 2011. The tour included shows with Kind Of Like Spitting, Bomb The Music Industry!, Hop Along, and Algernon Cadwallader, among others.[23]

Good Luck played at Russian Recording's 15 year anniversary concert on June 30, 2018, in Bloomington, IN, in a rare group performance after effectively disbanding.[24] Writing on Facebook and Twitter, "No, this is not a hoax" of the unexpected performance, the band indicated that while they may play more shows together in the future, they had no current plans to do so.[2][3] In 2024, Good Luck announced a show in Philadelphia, although had no plans for a tour.

Band members[edit]

  • Ginger Alford - vocals, bass
  • Mike Harpring - drums
  • Matt Tobey - vocals, guitar, piano, clarinet, etc.

Discography[edit]

Albums
Release Date Title Label Format
May 18, 2008 Into Lake Griffy self-released in 2008; released by No Idea Records in 2009.[7] CD, digital download, LP
October 26, 2011 Without Hesitations self-released online, and by No Idea Records[16] digital release
EPs
Release Date Title Label Format
March 13, 2010 Demonstration 2010 self-released; Yo Yo Records[13] digital release, LP

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Good Luck". Bandcamp. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  2. ^ a b c "Good Luck - U.S." Facebook. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  3. ^ a b "Tweet from Good Luck @wearegoodluck at 2:23 PM, May 10, 2018". Twitter. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  4. ^ a b c d "Local band Good Luck to open show for The Thermals". Indiana Daily Student. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  5. ^ a b "Good Luck turns immolation into a celebration with "Man On Fire"". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  6. ^ a b "Into Lake Griffy, by Good Luck". Bandcamp. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  7. ^ a b "GOOD LUCK: Into Lake Griffy". No Idea Records. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  8. ^ AltPress (2009-03-20). "No Idea streaming, releasing vinyl for Good Luck album". Alternative Press. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  9. ^ "Good Luck". MarsBands. 2011-10-21. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  10. ^ Punknews.org. "Good Luck - Into Lake Griffy". www.punknews.org. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  11. ^ "Good Luck: Into Lake Griffy". Mind Equals Blown. 2013-04-11. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  12. ^ "Good Luck - Into Lake Griffy (album review ) | Sputnikmusic". www.sputnikmusic.com. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  13. ^ a b "Demonstration 2010, by Good Luck". Bandcamp. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  14. ^ brodie_dg. "Good Luck recording new album | News". Killyourstereo.com. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  15. ^ AltPress (2011-10-26). "Album Premiere: Good Luck's "Without Hesitation"". Alternative Press. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  16. ^ a b c "Without Hesitation, by Good Luck". Bandcamp. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  17. ^ "GOOD LUCK: Without Hesitation". No Idea Records. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  18. ^ "cover art for GOOD LUCK "Without Hesitation" LP/CD!". Nate Powell. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  19. ^ "GOOD LUCK – WITHOUT HESITATION". Some Will Never Know. 2012-01-03. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  20. ^ "Good Luck - Without Hesitation • Punk Rock Theory". Punk Rock Theory. 2012-02-10. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  21. ^ Merrick, Ethan. "Review: Good Luck – Without Hesitation | Under the Gun Review". Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  22. ^ "A New Matt Tobey Solo Record". Kickstarter. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  23. ^ Yancey, Bryne (2012-04-23). "Good Luck (No Idea Records) announce shows with Kind Of Like Spitting, Spoonboy, others". Alternative Press. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  24. ^ "Russian Recording 15 Year Anniversary Outdoor Concert and Raffle". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
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