There’s something so intoxicating about an artist deciding to stop overthinking and just hit the gas. And that’s exactly the spirit behind LET’S DO SOMETHING STUPID!, the new album from multi-platinum artist Bryce Vine, out now via Big Noise Music Group.
The record marks one of Vine’s boldest pivots yet, leaning headfirst into the pop-punk and alt-rock sounds that shaped him long before “Drew Barrymore” became a breakout hit. Packed with crunchy guitar riffs, shout-along hooks, and a heavy dose of early-2000s skate-park energy, LET’S DO SOMETHING STUPID! feels like a love letter to the music that raised him.
“It started as a fun side project a few years ago with the legend John Feldmann,” Vine says of the album's conception. “I grew up in the Tony Hawk early 2000s era. A lot of my music inspiration came from those high-octane Vans Warped Tour bands. I wanted to bring that sound back because it helped me so much as a young adolescent.”
Working with Feldmann—known for shaping the sound of countless punk and alternative staples—also pushed Vine into a very different creative rhythm.
“I have a tendency to move slowly and meticulously when constructing a song,” he explains. “Working with Feldmann is high-octane, high-speed songwriting. He doesn’t let me dwell on lyrics or worry if melodies are too high for my range or too low or whatever. We slam iced coffees and keep it pushing until suddenly the song is done in like an hour.”
For Vine, that pace became part of the project’s DNA.
“It was nice to let go and not be so precious, but still end the session with a great demo to play on the car ride home.”
The album’s path actually began years earlier with an unexpected studio moment. Vine had written a punk-leaning song called “Empty Bottles,” but at the time he wasn’t planning to keep it for himself.
“I wrote a punk song a few years back called ‘Empty Bottles,’” he says. “Originally, I intended to pitch it to an actual punk band. The major label I was with didn’t seem particularly interested in me singing anything that wasn’t rapped, haha.”
But the demo eventually landed in Feldmann’s orbit.
“Someone sent the demo to John Feldmann, and he hit my team like, ‘The "Drew Barrymore" guy wrote this?’” Vine laughs. “It was the first song Feldmann ended up producing of mine… and we had a lot of studio chemistry right from the jump.”
That chemistry ultimately helped shape LET’S DO SOMETHING STUPID! into a genre-bending ride that pulls from punk, ska, alternative, and pop. The record also features an eclectic lineup of collaborators, including Bailey Spinn, The Home Team, OUT IN FRONT, State Champs, 44 Blonde, and Dicky Barrett of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, along with a reimagined version of "Superman" featuring Goldfinger and Tony Hawk.
Still, beneath the album’s high-energy exterior is a surprisingly personal motivation.
“This album is 100 percent dedicated to my inner child—the 13-year-old ADD kid that dreamed of having fans and playing Vans Warped Tour,” Vine says. “I hope fans get relief from the angst of being young and trying to find themselves in a crazy world. In the same way, punk rock helped me get through adolescence.”
Among the tracks he’s most excited for fans to hear is “Spotlight,” a reflective cut that taps into nostalgia and memory.
“Spotlight," he explains, "is a reflection song. I was looking back on and trying to remember all the people I grew up around, envisioning nights I thought I forgot, wondering what happened to some of them. My fans seem to like the uplifting sad songs I tend to write.”
Vine is also bringing the songs straight to the stage. He recently kicked off the LET’S DO SOMETHING STUPID! Tour, a limited North American run hitting cities like Chicago, New York, and Boston.
“It’s funny the opportunities this punk project has opened up,” Vine says. “You’ll catch me at the X Games and Vans Warped Tour DC and Orlando this year.”
For Vine, the album ultimately comes down to trust—both in himself and in the fans who have followed him through stylistic turns. “I appreciate them for letting me spread my wings and try different sounds,” he says. “I appreciate their faith in me and my music. I try really hard to give them good songs that make them feel understood.”
And with LET’S DO SOMETHING STUPID! officially out in the wild, it’s clear that sometimes the best move is exactly what the title suggests—stop overthinking it!
LET'S DO SOMETHING STUPID! is out now, stream on Spotify.
Photo by Micala Austin
