For Dustin Parks, frontman of Santa Barbara-based alt-reggae outfit Cydeways, Wasted Summer is more than just an album title — it’s a mission statement. “I’ve been working on these songs for years,” he tells The Pier. “They’re finally coming out, and it’s great.”
Set against a backdrop of laid-back beach town vibes and big-city growing pains, Cydeways’ latest LP is their most expansive and mature work to date. Following the hazy grooves of After Hours and the self-titled 2022 release, Wasted Summer finds the band embracing a bolder, heavier sound without losing their reggae-soul core. “We’ve always stuck to a similar style,” Parks explains, “but this one is definitely leaning more into an alternative rock sound. It’s kind of a matured Cydeways sound, and I think we’re really stoked on how everything came out.”
The record’s sonic ambition is matched by its raw vulnerability. On “No Loyalty,” Parks channels the emotional exhaustion of trying to survive in Los Angeles. “It kind of feels like the city is against you in every way possible,” he says. “You’re having a bad day, and you get a parking ticket just to make it worse. That song is about fighting through that energy.”
Cydeways aren’t just leveling up musically — they’re expanding their collaborative orbit, too. The Wax-assisted “Change” tackles addiction with brutal honesty. “The first lyric is, ‘To my friend, are you still alright?’” Parks says. “It was about a friend who went down a dark path. When Wax sent back his verse, I got chills. He just nailed exactly what I was trying to say.”
The album also features a guest turn from Matisyahu, who handpicked the track “Lockdown” while the band was rehearsing to serve as his backing band on tour. “He liked that one the best, which surprised me,” Parks says. “But he ripped it. It was great.”
Still, for all the star-powered features, Parks saves his biggest enthusiasm for a long-shelved Blink-182 cover. “We did a cover of ‘Mutt’ — acoustic style, a little hip-hop — and I’ve been sitting on it for years,” he says. “I’m excited for people to hear that.”
The album’s title track, co-written with Nashville songwriter Nick Bailey (MGK, Dirty Heads), serves as both anchor and ethos. “We went into the studio with nothing,” Parks says. “We wrote that song in 30 minutes. It just flowed. You can interpret Wasted Summer different ways — getting wasted all summer, or not wanting to waste your summer. It just fit.”
With Wasted Summer, Cydeways aren’t just carving out a niche — they’re expanding it. “Even though we’re in the reggae genre,” Parks says, “it’s cool to mash it together a little bit and just get your influences out that you have in you.”
And that’s the new Cydeways: fearless, genreless, and ready to ride the wave.
