Everblaze (2025)
Certified platinum. Commonly referred to as the most prophetic part of the Kids discography, Kids With a Dream's second album is the first to aspire for the heights future projects would surpass. All of Foster and Dizznee's emotions are on display and it is here that two of their most iconic collaborations (Nineteen and Getaway Driver) were first released into the world. Vacker demonstrates some of his most impressive melodies (Redwood Tree, Built to Last, Always Been There) and Vacker and Sencen trade off on mindblowing vocals and instrumentation throughout the whole project.
"I'll Be Here" || 4:36 || Released As Single || Lyrics by Sophie Foster || Storytelling lyrics talking about always being the best friend and never the girlfriend; midrange guitar playing
Trivia: Sophie almost didn't show these lyrics to the rest of the band; the narrator and the subject of the song have never been revealed, but considering Sophie and Fitz's long-time-coming relationship, it's assumed the song is about him
"Love (And Also War)" || 3:43 || Lyrics by Sophie Foster, Jensi Babblos and Hexting || Repetitive strumming of the guitar; rough, nonsensical lyrics perfectly expressed by Biana's warm voice
Trivia: Co-written with Jensi Babblos from Jensi and the Drooly Boys and Hexting (real name Stina Heks); Sophie has said that the difficulty was fifty percent writing the song and fifty percent getting the other two to cooperate
"Redwood Tree" || 4:58 || #1 || Released As Single || Lyrics by Sophie Foster || Opens with a trumpet; there is a moment of silence until the guitar and the drums start in
Trivia: The lyrics talk about standing tall and not giving in; Sophie has said it was inspired by two separate events, but she has only mentioned one: the redwood conservationist effort in California, where she lived until she was twelve
"Say Yes" || 2:25 || Lyrics by Sophie Foster || Silly, lighthearted bop about a good-old love story; fast paced guitar
Trivia: Sophie was challenged to write a happy song while participating in a game of Truth or Dare on national television; she has said that it was therapeutic to ignore the harshness of reality for a little while
"Nineteen" || 4:15 || #1 || Released As Single || Lyrics by Sophie Foster and Dex Dizznee || Silent for nineteen seconds exactly before the instrumentals begin; one drum solo; piano accompaniment
Trivia: Won the band their fifth Grammy, this one for Song of the Year; Fitz has said that he believes it is one of the best songs they've ever released, due to its emotion and brutal honesty; many years later, Keefe revealed that the beeping at the beginning was a looped recording of Sophie's heart monitor from when she was hospitalized after a fire in the middle of making the album
"Little Dot" || 2:17 || Lyrics by Sophie Foster || Energetic guitar; emphasis on the ADE chord structure; simple instrumentation
Trivia: A significant subset of Kids fans not only refer to this song as a good first song to play if one is learning the guitar, but know that, despite its simplicity, it is a go-to track to be used during transitions when the band is on tour
"Getaway Driver" || 3:51 || Lyrics by Sophie Foster and Dex Dizznee || Simple little ditty about friendship and emotional intimacy with someone; the chorus really says it all: 'You'll be my getaway driver, and I'll hold you tight/Between you and me we'll make it through the night'
Trivia: Sophie has said that writing the song with Dex helped the two of them fix a bond that had been damaged due to being hundreds of miles apart for months on end
"Wait Up" || 2:53 || Released As Single || Lyrics by Sophie Foster and Biana Vacker || Opens with three seconds of laughter, then cuts straight to the opening drums; storytelling lyrics about growing up as a younger or youngest sibling
Trivia: Sophie has said that she let Biana vent about being the youngest child and the only girl in her family for almost an hour, then presented her with the lyrics she had written
"Since We Were" || 3:40 || #1 || Released As Single || Lyrics by Sophie Foster || Fast, upbeat guitar playing; melodic piano playing; intermittent cymbal crashes; cheeky, carefree lyrics
Trivia: Lyrics penned while watching a formulaic teen movie with friends; Sophie joked that she identified more with the quote-unquote "villain' in the movie (the on again-off again girlfriend) than the male protagonist, whom she described as jealous, clingy, and everything she hated in guys; worth noting that this track was written as Sophie was recovering from an unhealthy relationship with Jensi and the Drooly Boys' bassist, Valin Crotecks, which likely explains the unbridled disgust directed at the guy in this track
"Right Here, Right Now" || 4:37 || Lyrics by Sophie Foster || Softer, sweeter track than its predecessor; opens with childish warbling of an indistinct tune; slow, musical guitar melody; meaningful lyrics about living in the moment and not worrying too much about the past or the future
Trivia: Sophie has said that the song was written to curb some of her own anxieties and to remind her to stop stressing so much about things she can't control
"Sprouts Grow" || 4:15 || Released As Single || Lyrics by Sophie Foster || Lyrical, melodic track with occasional drum rolls; designed to take listeners in and out of lulls and to reflect the feeling of growing up
Trivia: Written after one of Sophie's childhood friends had a shotgun wedding and Sophie realized that she was actually an adult; she described her reaction as "shocked, baffled, and wondering how I got here", lines repeated in the bridge of this track
"Built To Last" || 5:07 || Lyrics by Sophie Foster || Jolts listeners out of the throwback lyrics of the previous track as the topic of this song is to think about one's future; two guitar solos; one piano/drums duet
Trivia: Sophie admitted that this song accurately predicted a great many things in her life, which creeped her out a little; Biana said that she would have named her firstborn daughter after the girl in the song, but after two sons was completely over pregnancy
"Always Been There" || 4:44 || #1 || Lyrics by Fitz Vacker || Starts off slow and gentle; abrupt transition to a faster, more energetic track; mixture of drums and cymbals
Trivia: The answer of sorts to the album's opening track; written after Fitz and Sophie got together, hence the connection between the two songs; music video features real photographs from their first date; Sophie called it, 'the only time the paparazzi were useful'
Bonus:
"Break My Heart" || 4:34 || #1 || Released As Single || Lyrics by Sophie Foster and Keefe Sencen || Light song with a devil-may-care attitude; sassy lyrics; steady drumline
Trivia: Released a full year after the Everblaze album; released in the middle of the day with no warning