Barcelona quartet The Coldest July tracked their first full-length between December 2023 and February 2024 at Ultramarinos Costa Brava with producer Santi García and mastering engineer Víctor García.
Released in May 2025, Thriving is over since then... revisits the tension-and-release blueprint of late-’90s emo and post-hardcore while staying rooted in present anxieties: growing older, fragile relationships, and the fear that stability might be out of reach.
Rather than drilling into each lyric here, the album can be sketched in one line: it is a seven-song search for emotional footing after the illusion of certainty disappears.
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Guitars braid, break, and surge; vocals alternate between measured melody and raw shouts; the rhythm section shifts from patient undercurrent to blunt force. Every track feels like another angle on the same unease—whether that is the shock of adulthood that never feels “adult,” the self-doubt that shadows break-ups, or the pressure to follow a script that no longer makes sense.
The track by track commentary below expands on how each song carries a slice of that larger concern.
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Formed by longtime friends previously active in Hateache, Aldrin y Collins, Crossword, and Antilògic, The Coldest July lean hard on the formative records they once passed around: Mineral, American Football, Sunny Day Real Estate, Leiah, Pedro The Lion, Elliott, Cobolt, Engine Down, Brand New, Penfold, Time Spent Driving, and early Jimmy Eat World.
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A self-released two-song demo (“AF Boys” and “Another Day”) appeared in mid-2023; both songs re-emerge on the album in revised form. The vinyl edition arrives soon through Thirty Something Records, Slow Down Records, Radix Records, Entes Anómicos, and Carcosa Records.
The Coldest July play Le Reyerte Fest in Barcelona on 19 July alongside Calathea and Johnny Garso. An official Barcelona release show follows in October at Sala VOL, with more Spanish dates projected for 2026. New material is already in progress.
Rest Of My Days
Julian: The foundation of this song was inspired by Sunny Day Real Estate’s “Killed By An Angel” (the drum intro is a nod to that). While listening to it at home, I came up with the opening riff. For the chorus, I wanted something more energetic—something that reflects our own sound. I’ve always loved how ’90s bands like Mineral, Penfold, or Elliott used that dynamic. That kind of contrast defines much of our songwriting.
Oscar: This song deals with the experience of growing older—how different it feels from what you imagined. I used to see adults, especially my parents, as stable and secure. I assumed I’d feel the same way when I reached that age, but I don’t. There’s also the looming realization that they won’t always be around… and not being ready for that.
Gerard: My goal here was to deliver a solid groove during the verses and raw power in the choruses. It’s probably the most energetic track on the record, so that dynamic contrast had to be reflected rhythmically.
Damned Night
Julian: The main riff is clearly influenced by Owen and American Football—looped arpeggios with subtle changes, weaving together with the second guitar line. The chorus stands out thanks to the vocal layering: Oscar’s melodic lines blend with Gerard’s screams.
Oscar: This one is especially important to me, vocally. Gerard takes the lead here, which gave me space to explore a sort of dialogue between two people who never fully understand each other. It’s about a toxic, imbalanced relationship—emotional dependence on one side, total lack of emotional responsibility on the other. A trap, really. Guitar-wise, it was a technical challenge—Julian’s riffs pushed me to grow as a player.
Gerard: It’s the only song where I take lead vocals, and we wanted it to sound cohesive with the rest. Our voices are quite different, but we complement each other really well. Also, the screamed parts are becoming one of our trademarks.
David: The interludes in some songs, like this one, are where the bass tone shines through. When composing over the rhythmic base, I see it like a blank canvas: the root notes are there, but the possibilities are endless.
Farewell
Oscar: I brought what I thought was a chorus to rehearsal—turned out it wasn’t mine! It ended up being the bridge instead. The verse is based on a descending chord progression, starting with a favorite chord I “borrowed” from Signals Midwest’s Your New Old Apartment. The lyrics speak to a bittersweet goodbye, said years after the actual end—more of a personal closure than a farewell to someone else.
Julian: After recording our demo, Luis Cifre gave us some CDs from his old band, Her Only Presence. One day, Oscar showed up with a riff that unintentionally resembled a track from “You’re Never Back.” Once we realized it, we tweaked it until the song found its shape.
Gerard: I love the way this song flows. It was definitely inspired by the type of drumming I admire in bands like Engine Down and Shiner.
Another Day
Oscar: A breakup song, reflecting on the familiar phrases we use to soften the blow—well-intentioned, but ultimately hollow. It then turns inward, questioning personal growth and realizing that experience and age don’t always lead to maturity. This was the first song we ever wrote together—very special for all of us.
Julian: Also featured on our demo, this track was originally written for my previous band. I love how it blends soft, intricate verses with a more forceful chorus, reminiscent of classic emocore structures that deeply shaped my playing.
Gerard: The first song Julian and Oscar showed me when we started jamming together—it helped define the path we’d take as a band. It has a magnetic build-up that draws you in.
David: The bass interlude here is one of my favorite moments on the album. I drew inspiration from Sunny Day Real Estate, Japanese band Toe, and also my punk/hardcore roots—bands like No Use For A Name and Lagwagon.
In Pieces
Julian: The intro came to me while listening to “Unfinished” by Mineral, though Oscar said it reminded him of Pedro The Lion. The structure is quite different from our usual—no repeated parts except for the chorus—and that’s exactly what made us keep it.
Oscar: Another reflection on relationships. This one explores how lack of self-love can trap you in a limbo, clinging to scraps of affection. It was written years after the breakup, but still captures how it felt in the moment. One of my favorites to play live.
Gerard: Definitely one of our favorite songs to perform. It’s energetic and emotionally intense—it helps us connect with the audience. Also, it might have the best chorus on the album.
American Football Boys
Julian: One of the two songs (along with “Another Day”) originally written for my previous band with Luis Benavides from El Ecualizador podcast. It used to be called “Be Strong” and he sang it. After that project ended, I reworked it with new guitars, Oscar wrote fresh lyrics, and it naturally became part of The Coldest July.
Oscar: A personal challenge for me—one of the first times I had to play arpeggios and sing at the same time. Lyrically, it’s about how it’s never too late to “succeed”—not in a career sense, but in being true to yourself, living without masks or compromise.
Gerard: Our second song ever. Like “Another Day,” we spent a lot of time figuring out how the choruses should feel. Again, I took cues from drummers like William Goldsmith (Sunny Day Real Estate). Fun fact: there’s a small part of the song where we sing in Catalan.
Behind The Curtains
Oscar: The longest and probably darkest track on the album, lyrically speaking. I love how the song evolves, and the final section is a powerful ending. It deals with the societal and internal pressure to follow a standard path—get a good job, earn money, start a family.
Gerard: This one includes every signature element of our band: dynamic shifts, layered guitars, emotional build-up. The final section crescendos beautifully, adding instruments one by one until everything erupts.
Julian: The chorus guitars were inspired by Leiah. I tried to recreate the same dreamy atmosphere they have in their records.
David: At the end of the song, I added a touch of distortion to the bass to enhance the intensity. My goal is always to complement the guitars without overpowering them—ideally creating a conversation between all instruments.
What’s Next
After the album release, we’ll be playing Le Reyerté, an underground punk/post-hardcore/emo festival in Barcelona this July, alongside bands like Calathea and Jonnhy Garso. In the fall, we’ll play a hometown show in Barcelona and hope to lock in a date in Girona with our friends from Bellvitge. We’ve also got some shows lined up across Spain in 2026. On top of that, we’re already writing new songs and planning our next recording.
