HEAVY MUSIC HISTORY: Life’s Not Out To Get You – Neck Deep

Life’s Not Out To Get You catapulted NECK DEEP into the forefront of the pop-punk scene in the 2010s – a position they have maintained to this day. The Welsh band redefined the optimism that could be behind the genre, and balanced earnestness with confrontation to create an album that still feels as impactful today as it did upon its release 10 years ago. 

Following the success of their first album, Wishful Thinking, the band left their day jobs to pursue music full time. The band, who had signed with Hopeless Records in 2013, themselves demoed tracks on a tour bus during 2014’s Warped Tour. They took to Florida between December 2014 and January 2015 to record what would be their second studio album. 

Life’s Not Out To Get You found NECK DEEP elevating their music into a new space; one of louder and larger ideas. In an interview with Alternative Press, Barlow shared “We wanted to step things up in a big way. Not only will we be stepping out of our comfort zone and finally recording outside of Seb’s (Barlow’s brother) bedroom […] but we’ll be working with someone we’ve always looked up to.” The band worked with Jeremy McKinnon (A DAY TO REMEMBER), who offered guidance and co-produced the album along-side Andrew Wade. McKinnon offered backing vocals on the sun-soaked Kali Ma, and offered the idea of the acoustic track December to the band. 

In the making of the record, NECK DEEP were keen to offer a sense of hope to their fans. Speaking of their lyrics, Barlow shared “I felt on this record that my lyrics are way better. It had a message to it that really connected with people and I think people maybe needed that.” Life’s Not Out To Get You spanned through a journey much like a coming of age, with tracks like Can’t Kick Up The Roots looking nostalgically at the tribulations of coming from a small town, and Gold Steps and Smooth Seas Don’t Make Good Sailors soundtracking a defiant hope in the face of hardship. 

The album acted as a kind of coming of age for the band themselves too. Life’s Not Out To Get You saw NECK DEEP skyrocket into success. As the band embarked on various tours of the US and UK following its release, their fanbase grew more dedicated, with the tracks becoming anthemic sing-alongs that remain in their setlists to this day. The album went to number eight in the UK, with lead single Can’t Kick Up The Roots reaching number 18 on the UK Rock and Metal chart. It was ranked number 10 on Alternative Press’ 10 Essential Albums Of 2015 list, and number three on Rock Sound’s (No. 208) Top 50 Releases Of 2015 list. It also received nominations for Album Of The Year at both the Alternative Press Awards and the Kerrang! Awards in 2016. 

But more than the metrics of the album’s success, Life’s Not Out To Get You found NECK DEEP becoming the successors of pop-punk in the 2010s. In a review for Hysteria Mag, they expressed that “it’s hard not to feel like NECK DEEP could well be this generation’s NEW FOUND GLORY.” Ten years later and NECK DEEP are at the very front of the pop punk genre, with Life’s Not Out To Get You remaining as a quintessential album in their back catalogue. Reflecting on the album, Barlow shared with Kerrang! “It was crazy, because that record really solidified our place within this world of music. There’s a KURT COBAIN quote, ‘The best time in a band’s career is when they’re about to blow up and they don’t know it.’ That’s what it was.” This energy pulses through the album, and is what allows the album to endure 10 years later. The band celebrated the album at 2024’s When We Were Young Festival, playing it largely in full, and in December 2025, they will embark on a tour of the UK to celebrate its anniversary.

Life’s Not Out To Get You was the kind of album that only comes around every so often. It was a spiritual successor to the pop-punk giants of the late 90s and early 2000s, but was always authentic. With bold and infectious hooks, and an earnest approach to lyricism it struck at the core of pop-punk and came to define a new generation’s experience of it. 10 years since its release, NECK DEEP are at the forefront of the genre, and Life’s Not Out To Get You remains proof as to why they deserve to be there. 

Life’s Not Out To Get You was originally released on August 14th, 2015 via Hopeless Records.

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