49 Winchester Comes to Duling Hall 1.27.23

meet Good looks

Good Looks write kindhearted and cathartic rock songs about the persistence required to make
it through hard times. In April 2022, the Austin, Texas quartet released their critically acclaimed
debut Bummer Year, which channeled post-2016 frustrations into lyrically generous and biting
tracks. Immediately after their triumphant hometown record release show, tragedy struck. Walking outside the venue, lead guitarist Jake Ames was hit by a car crossing the street, fracturing his skull and tailbone.

Following a necessary period of healing and processing which found him in the ICU and dealing with short-term memory issues, Ames recovered. The traumatic accident strengthened their bond, which is evident on their electric new album Lived Here For A While. Out June 7 via Keeled Scales, it’s fearlessly direct music that captures the full-throated intensity of their galvanizing live show.
Though frontman Tyler Jordan had already written the 10 urgent songs on this album before the
accident, they weren’t recorded yet. Following the excitement of the release show, Ames’
horrific injury was a devastating blow and made the band’s future uncertain. They canceled the
next few months of touring and were mainly concerned about whether or not their bandmate
would be OK.

The one date Good Looks tentatively kept on their calendar was a June stop at the Kerrville
Folk Festival in Central Texas, where Jordan and Ames had first met. Their friendship is
inseparable from this place as they’d bond over music and trade songs alongside writers like
Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker and Buck Meek. 

“It felt wild to be in there and recording after everything,” says Jordan. “Jake’s accident made us all more grateful to be there.” 

Though Ames had to relearn some of his parts, his palpably energetic performances elevated the entire record. On the LP, the band trades the Americana sound that colored in the
lines of Bummer Year for clanging post-punk guitars and expansive indie rock. “Self-Destructor”
boasts a screeching yet danceable lead from Ames, the physicality and fervency of the full
band’s performance is palpable. On the single “Can You See Me Tonight?,” Ames’ riff is just as
infectious as Jordan’s searching chorus.

Lyrically, the songs on this album are healing meditations on family dysfunction, new
relationships, and how a home can become unrecognizable.
Jordan’s primary focus on Lived Here For A While is dissecting relationships of all kinds:
familial, platonic, creative, and romantic. His songs explore how they can crumble irrevocably
but also how those partnerships can be centering, hopeful, and exciting.

The newfound stability in Jordan’s life colors the songs throughout. “I’ve been going to therapy for 10 years,” says Jordan. “I used to think that I was destined to be in hard relationships because of the trauma that I had as a kid. I was working through all this stuff and realized I was ready to finally be in a healthy relationship.”

These songs exude the many charms of this Texas band and they debuted several of these cuts
on tours with the full band, which includes original drummer Phil Dunne and new bassist
Harrison Anderson. However, Ames’ accident wasn’t the only horrific event that plagued the
band. In July 2023, on the first day of a south and Midwestern run, their tour van was
rear-ended by a speeding car, causing an accident on the highway that culminated with their
van, alongside their instruments, merch, and records, becoming engulfed in flames.

Thankfully, none of the band members suffered serious injuries. Two days later, Jordan continued out the
tour solo with the band joining him a few days later to finish the run. This resilience is essential
to Good Looks and why the songs on Lived Here For A While resonate so profoundly.

“Driving to those shows immediately after the crash, I had a lot of time to think and process
everything,” says Jordan. “And honestly, what better way to heal than to see people that you
love, play music and do what you were put on this earth to do.”

Doors – 6:30pm | Show – 7:30pm

Listen to Good Looks on Spotify to get a sneak peek of what you’ll be seeing on June 29th live at Duling Hall!

Our friends at Saltine Restaurant serve a food menu from doors to showtime and provide a full bar with signature cocktails throughout the entire event.

Duling Hall is an Independent Venue that welcomes all music lovers.