A traumatic injury followed by a fiery crash left the future of Austins Good Looks uncertain.
But the group feels luckier than ever.
It would be easy to assume Good Looks has bad luck.
But singer-guitarist Tyler Jordan doesnt see it that way.
The songwriter-meets-guitar-rock album would be well-receivedbut it was amidst difficult circumstances.
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I have so many fond thoughts and nice feelings about Austin, he says.
But I also feel nervous about the scene getting smaller because artists are being priced out.
What happens when theres no place to fail?
A lot of folks think of it as a centrist song, he says.
However overt the lyrics may be, the politics are notreallythe point or at least not the only one.
How outside forces can get in the way of your best efforts.
Soon, life would imitate art.
By the spring of 2022, Jordan had gained ground on his depressive episodes.
In the middle of the night, Jordan received a call that Ames was in intensive care.
He stabilized quickly and luckily but required weeks of round-the-clock care from his mom and Jordan.
Though Jordan played a few solo gigs, the band was forced to cancel its tour.
Meanwhile, acclaim built for the new record.
Two weeks after the accident,Pitchforkgave the album a favorable rating.
Support poured in from fans and the Austin community, who donated $63,868 to a GoFundMe campaign.
In July 2023, the band was ready to tour again.
Ames had recovered at a near-miraculous pace.
All four members escaped relatively unharmed, but the van caught fire.
Everything but Ames pedalboard, the one responsible for those haunting reverbs and delays, was lost.
I didnt feel unlucky in those situations, Jordan says.
It was this good luck in a bad situation kind of thing.
It really puts things in perspective.
Once again, Good Looks is walking on.
Its second record,Lived Here For Awhile, drops in June.
You get to see all these bands in such a short window of time, he says.
To be part of it… my brain cant even process it.
Its almost as if that Vision Board has finally come true.
Everything that 19-year-old me asked for has happened, Jordan says.
I really cant believe it.
Good Looks plays SXSW 2024 on March 16 at The 13th Floor at 1 am CT.
