By all accounts, Cydeways were never meant to play it safe. The Santa Barbara-via-Boston alt-rock outfit has been zigzagging through punk, reggae, and hip-hop since day one—and their latest single “Change,” featuring underground rap mainstay Wax, is no exception. Released ahead of their upcoming full-length album Wasted Summer (due July 11 via LAW Records), “Change” is a vibey, emotionally self-aware slow-burner that hits like a sunset conversation after a long, chaotic day.
Built on a downtempo groove and spacious production, “Change” rides a mellow rhythm that manages to feel both sunny and melancholic. Cydeways frontman Dustin Parks delivers confessional lines in a half-sung, half-spoken cadence, toeing the line between vulnerability and defiance: “I don’t really know if I should try anymore / I’ve been burning bridges just to even the score.” It’s not about triumph—it’s about trying, again and again, even when the road forward feels like it’s made of sand.
Wax jumps in with a verse that perfectly complements the track’s raw introspection, spitting bars that feel lived-in and honest. “I made peace with the mirror, but I still talk back,” he raps, grounding the song’s themes of growth, accountability, and those late-night what-the-hell-am-I-doing-here questions.
“Change” doesn’t explode—it lingers. It’s a laid-back gut-punch, the kind of song that floats past you on a drive only to stick in your head for days. And that’s the point. Wasted Summer, if the title is any indication, seems poised to wrestle with that sweet spot between escapism and evolution.
Cydeways are scheduled to support the release with a summer run of live dates that tap into their cross-genre appeal. Like the single itself, it’s less about staying in one lane—and more about taking the long way home.
