Track By Tracks: Arcade Allstars - Destined 4 Disaster (2025)

1. Blue Collar:

The first single. Riffy pop punk, a ripping synth lead, and bouncy ska verses, featuring Julian Brindley on trumpet. Lyrically, this song is about having to sacrifice or hide who you truly are in order to live up to the expectations of those around you, all while putting on a brave face. Supes sacrifices a lot for the people who count on him!

2. Mark the Day:

A fun, dancey ska tune that jumps into energetic punk with blasting horns. This song is about letting go of toxic and immature people in your life. People who always complain and never offer solutions. People who can’t accept responsibility for their unhappiness. Like the track says: I’m out!

3. Fare Thee Well:

The second single. A straight-up skanker from start to finish featuring a ripping sax solo by Cody Banks. This song is about the feeling when you’re betrayed by somebody close, who you never expected to turn on you. It’s about drawing the line and not allowing yourself to be hurt by those who’ve taken advantage of your trust.

4. Destined 4 Disaster:

The title track. This is another dancey bop that transitions into some heavy, trippy noise before fading into the next song with a heartbeat... This song is about taking a good look at yourself in the mirror and admitting some hard truths to yourself about what might be causing your unhappiness, and about doubting your ability to “right the ship”.

5. Almost Finished:

Our fastest, heaviest song (yet)! Fast skanking verses, slamming pop-punk choruses, a thrashing breakdown, and a searing trombone solo by Josh Bird all combine in this high-energy track. This song is about rejecting the hate and fear that we’ve been programmed to spread through TV and social media. It’s about not losing hope and banding together with those around you who are also tired of the narrative. It’s not the end!

6. Claim:

Our rocksteady romp. It’s got some of our favourite harmonies (both horns and vocals) on the album. This song doesn’t have any real metaphors. It’s about drinking. Drinking to celebrate; drinking to commiserate; drinking to numb the pain. It’s about knowing you’re surrounded by people who love you and will take care of you when you overdo it. Let’s face it, we’ve all been there!

7. Ye Olde Hawe:

The third single. Can anybody say “Cowboy Ska”? One of our favourite songs to play live. It’s got catchy vocals, a spooky sax solo, a wah-laden guitar solo, a rap bridge, and oh, I almost forgot - bari sax played by our dear friend Naomi Higgins! This song is about how those with money and power rarely use either responsibly. How they use lies and misdirection to brainwash the masses and hide their true intentions. I’m not crazy...right?

8. Choose Your Fighter:

The instrumental track! Ooooh! An ode to arcade fighters. This one features both Julian Brindley and Naomi Higgins on trumpet and baritone sax, respectively. The song features ripping horn solos, thundering drums and a bassline that just won’t quit! You may recognise a few sound effects in the heavy breakdown... Toasty!

9. Mutton Chops:

Skanky, surfy fun - an ode to the Planet Smashers’ sound. This is a good one to dance to, and to sing along to with its call and response verses, and bouncy tempo. It’s a jokey song written from the perspective of one of those guys who just won’t let go of his (perhaps ageing) style. It’s about doing what makes you happy and not caring about what other people think. If you don’t like what you see, you can always just leave!

10. Insomnia:

Our pop-punk power ballad and another great singalong. Hands up if you feel like you get enough sleep every night. It’s okay, I’ll wait... This song is about the fun times you go through when sleep deprivation is upon you. Sing it with us: “I’m not going to sleep!”