It has been quite a few years of ups and downs for Games We Play. His debut record, Life’s Going Great, released via Fueled By Ramen/DCD2 Records, focuses on what we lose when we follow our dreams. Shining the spotlight on insecurity, burn-out, and a broken marriage, Emmyn Calleiro, the mastermind behind the project, writes about the side of success that is rarely discussed but often felt immensely. His lyrics are unapologetically honest, cutting straight to the substance of everything that has happened in the last 12 months. But rather than wallowing, Games We Play turns his pain into self-deprecating sing-alongs, reminding himself and his listeners of why he started playing music in the first place: to tell his stories and connect with others.
From the Weezer-inspired guitar riff of “All My Untalented Friends (Ooo La La)” to the emotional storytelling of “too young.” to reconciling his marriage on the heartfelt “Girl Shaped Crater,” the record is anything but one-dimensional. Life’s Going Great is a testament to Calleiro’s songwriting chops and his ability to strike a balance between vulnerability and humor.
Keep reading to learn all about the story behind Life’s Going Great, the writing process, and the advice Calleiro gives to both his past and present self.
Tell me about the title of your debut record: Life’s Going Great. It’s a pretty optimistic title, but the look on your face in the artwork says otherwise. What does the title mean to you, and how does it reflect the record’s themes?
So, like you said, the album and the art contradict themselves. I’ve been doing Games We Play for a really long time, and in the past year and a half, everything started happening and working for me. My life has been going well regarding living my dreams, but I haven’t been home in a really long time, and because of that, a lot of bad stuff has happened. It feels like this year has been one punch after the other, but I’m getting up and just trying to show up.
I definitely have thought a couple of times, “Holy shit, this is the hardest and worst year of my life.” I used to work at Target, and when I would ask people, “How are you doing today?” they would say, “Living the dream,” sarcastically. So I thought that would be a cool thing for my record. If you know me and listen to the songs, you can clearly hear it’s falling apart.
The song “too young.” remains my favorite track on the album, and the lyric “You can’t fill a home with intentions” is compelling. I genuinely believe all artists have a realization after going through heartbreak or loss that there’s no way not to write about it. When did you realize you had to write about something so personal, and what was the experience like putting pen to paper?
I started writing this record last year [2022] and didn’t know what I was writing or why. I was working with many writers, but as my year started to get a little rocky, I started writing songs with my friends, the three people who know me the best. When I got off tour, everything happened, and one of my friends would just be playing guitar and be like, “Yeah, let’s maybe write a song about that.” I wrote about it as it was happening, on the days it was happening. Many people say writing is therapy for me, but I don’t know what that means. I don’t know if it’s supposed to make you feel better, but it was a topic that was happening, and in doing that, the song just exists.
The album sounds like the soundtrack of a coming-of-age movie. Is there a film you think your album could be the soundtrack of?
There are a lot of breakup songs on this record…I hear “too young.” specifically in a rom-com, where the guy is just walking away in the rain, crying. I don’t think the movie has been made yet, but I think the album would fit in a rom-com or just a biography of a dude. It’s actually a goal of mine for one of my songs to be in a movie.
Let’s talk about the collaborators on this record. You worked with Larry Hibbitt, who produced the entire album in the UK. What was it like working with him?
It was amazing. I had chosen Larry after getting off this tour in the UK in February. This girl on the tour had a record produced by Larry, and Larry made her friends’ records. British music is sonically much different from American music, so I invited him out to the last tour show, which was at Wembley Arena. I was like, “Hey, I’m flying home tomorrow. Can I just stay here, and you can produce my song tomorrow?” And we did that.
That experience was exactly what I wanted it to be. I’m somebody who likes to have a lot of control, and he is super talented and pushes me to get what I want. I felt like I was in the captain’s chair with him, and it was a really cool experience.
When sparks fly in a writing session, I know it feels unlike any other. In addition to Larry, were there any extraordinary writing sessions or songwriters you worked with on this album?
The one insanely special day was the day we wrote “Girl Shaped Crater.” I’ve never had that feeling before where everyone in the room looked at each other like, “What did we just do?” In my opinion, that’s the best song on the record. I’ve always wanted to write a love song, and it was really, really special. John Harvie and Dan Reed Rector were the two people who were with me through the thick and thin of writing it. Those two have just been with me through it all. Then, the album had three more writers: Michael Whitworth, Spencer Jordan, and Dan Swank. We all made it together.
You’re heading out to support Fall Out Boy in the next couple of weeks on the So Much For (2our) Dust tour and then will embark on a headlining tour following the album release. Which song are you most looking forward to playing live for fans?
“Oh So Blue.” My friend Dan, who I wrote the record with, has known me for a long time. He said, “Emmyn, I like this song so much because it sounds like the songs you would write when you were 14, but now, you know how to write music.” That song cuts deep. It’s about a very personal subject, but also it has all of my favorite elements: it’s a sing-along, it’s really fast, and it’s really heavy. I like it a lot.
Tell me about your relationship with Pete Wentz. As your mentor, how has he guided you through making your first album?
He helps me a lot. I’m very lucky to have someone in my life like Pete. I just went on tour with him for the first time, and every day, we would text each other and have a recap about how it went. Pete’s cool not just because of him helping me through the record but also as a friend. A lot of the struggles I’ve been going through this year, Pete has also gone through in his life. I’m fortunate to have somebody who’s been there before, and I reach out to him a lot.
The past two years have been a whirlwind for you. Looking back, do you have a piece of advice that you wish you could give your younger self before your career took off?
This is a piece of advice to my current self, too, and it’s so much easier said than done: Just be confident in yourself. This is a very weird game that we’re all playing, and that wasn’t a pun intended. [Laughs.] It takes a lot, and sometimes it’s embarrassing. This year, specifically, I put a lot of stuff on hold to do this. Insecurity always pushes through and can ruin many things for you, and it did for me growing up. So I would just say, be confident. If something feels good, do it; if it doesn’t, trust your gut.
