Vacay Nick Shakes Off The Bad Times With New Song & Video, “Good Riddance”

The end of the year brings a time of great reflection. You mull over the highs and the lows and the in-betweens. Indie-rock singer-songwriter Nick Aranda, guitarist of Paper Route (currently on hiatus) and now known professionally as Vacay Nick, steps back to consider what 2019 has wrought.

His new song and video “Good Riddance,” premiering today on American Songwriter, is a mellow, easy listening guitar jam that celebrates the good as much as the bad. The visual was shot and filmed by Bree Marie Fish (known for her work with Josie Dunne, SVRCINA and Dan Auerbach, among others), features an appropriately rainy day in LA as the backdrop.

An overcast mood stands in stark contrast to the colorful chorus of inflatable arm flailing tube men, a playful way of finding a silver lining. Aranda’s voice rises somber and plaintive, and yet his words carry a considerable bite. “Things were looking up / But now they’re f***ing done,” he sings. Imposing grey clouds loom overhead, but like all storms, these too shall pass. “Good riddance to the bad times.”

“’Good Riddance’ is about that crystallizing moment when you take stock on feelings, like you do at the end of each year, and all the highs and lows sort of flatten into either cheers or curses,” said Aranda. “It’s not necessarily about forgetting the hard times — there’s usually some good in the bad, and even a ‘good riddance’ is a welcome thing — but it’s about choosing not to let the bitterness of stale dreams, severed bands, or broken hearts influence the future. It’s discovering that ends hold less power than beginnings. So, shed your calloused skin.”

“Good Riddance” is the third single from Aranda’s forthcoming new album, Off Days, expected early 2020.

Watch the “Good Riddance” video below.