Five years in the making, GOOD, the Austin-based sad indie rockers have dropped their debut album that’s raw, haunting, and a true labor of love, aptly titled A Room Full of Elephants. This project was entirely self-produced, recorded wherever the band could manage—from a bedroom to a cigar humidor—turning their transient recording environments into part of the album’s soundscape.
Echoing influences from bands like MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA, MODEST MOUSE, and JANE’S ADDICTION, A Room Full of Elephants channels that brand of reflective, layered alternative rock, but with GOOD’s own mellow twist.
The album comes as a blend woven from years of personal experiences, shifting lineups, and the weight of things left unsaid.
The band’s words capture this spirit best: “There has never been just one elephant in the room. That’s what this album means to me, and what I hope you can connect to.” It’s an invitation to step into their world of unresolved tensions and intimate emotions.
Each track holds a specific place in that world, and as you read on, the heart of this article—a track-by-track commentary—brings these stories to life, capturing the essence and backstory of each piece below.
View this post on Instagram
Traalmost cinematic vibe here, evoking the tension and unease of unresolved relationships.
GOOD’s A Room Full of Elephants is a reminder of the complexities within the human experience—the emotions that persist, the words left unspoken, and the unresolved feelings we carry.
The track-by-track commentary below offers a glimpse into each song’s origin, inviting us to dive deep into the band’s world and connect with the echoes of a journey half a decade in the making.
1) Pieces
I wrote this one in 2014 sitting in my car waiting for a train to pass. I clapped the rhythm on the steering wheel and sang the lyrics. Ended up with a Certified Pop Rock Banger about the feeling of a love so strong you wanna fix your partner’s every problem.
2) Everything
Originally recorded acoustically for our 2017 EP, This Is For You. This song is about dreaming about being with someone and giving your whole heart to them.
3) Waiting for a Goodbye is about the untimely passing of a friend. You never know when your last goodbye is.
4) Madonna
It’s about the death of my paternal grandmother. She was sort of the matriarch of my family on that side, and it really felt like an earthquake of a loss. The song was completely restructured from an acoustic track to that bass line intro at 4am in the cigar shop I work at. We recorded that single take as a scratch and decided to keep it.
5) A Room Full of Elephants
It’s about the things unsaid between the people you don’t see anymore. Imagining coming back to that old group you don’t talk to anymore and trying to ignore the things unsaid.
6) Lie to Me
It’s a story about a relationship that has fallen into monotony and uncertainty. You hope that while you’re away from home your person could at least lie to you to keep up appearances.
7) The Weatherman
I wrote it back in 2015. It’s about the feeling that you’re doing your best and honestly able to recognize that you’re killing it. But there’s a nagging feeling that you’re missing something.
8) You Me and the Gun
It’s really just a good vibe. I wrote this one midway through a long stretch of sxsw shows in 2019 and it felt like we were on top of the world. When you really want something and you really feel like you’re going after it: that feeling.
9) Three Steps Forward
It’s a synthy-orchestral experiment with a theme of a love lost; that came at you like a bullet and disappeared just as quickly. I wrote it in 2016 on an acoustic guitar, then in the recording process, started completely over.
