3 Feet High & Rising: NJ Hardcore Punk Band GOOD TEAL Share “Excusing The Hurt” from Upcoming GOOD TEAL EP
GOOD TEAL, L-R: CURT Grayson, Reg Mason, Shane Stanton, and Alex Goldenthal (CREDIT: Jordan Mikhail)
Freshly grown and hailing from both Union & Butler, New Jersey, GOOD TEAL is putting out an explosive and eclectic Hardcore sound. The band consists of vocalist/bassist Reginal “Reg” Mason (pronouns: he/him/they,) drummer Shane Stanton, rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Curtis “CURT” Grayson, and guitarist Alex “Alex Gold” Goldenthal. This upcoming Friday, August 15, 2025, GOOD TEAL will release their self-titled debut EP, meticulously self-record and produced, then mastered by Matt Filipek (Tomorrowish, Cloud District.) Having already shared the pulsating singles “Parasites!,” “Freefall!,” and “Lookout,” the band has now unleashed the fourth single from the GOOD TEAL EP, “Excusing The Hurt.” It boasts unique rhythms driven by electrifying riffs ride along direct, crushing vocals from Reg Mason. The track is extremely personal, addressing abuse Mason experienced as a child through the pain and perspective it’s carried as an adult. Being able to write about the experience served as a moment of healing and the band hope others experiencing similar situations can find solace in the song’s delivery. The video for “Excusing The Hurt” was directed and edited by Mason himself, following a first-person narrative. “Excusing The Hurt” was produced by GOOD TEAL themselves, mixed/engineered by Shane Stanton, mastered by Matt Filipek, and Mason was seemingly shot the video entirely with GoPro-like D.I.Y. camera technology. Regarding “Excusing The Hurt,” Mason expands: “[this was the] hardest song for me to write, lyrically. I’ve re-written this one, maybe, three times, I want to say. I never felt that I had a proper place to talk about being a victim of abuse growing up. I trained myself to be quiet, as it was easier than risking being vulnerable. Then, I found the words to say. I wanted to write about the day-to-day of having that hurt stewing in you and consciously rejecting it with intention. To not have that be an excuse to not contribute something good in society. The first verse follows me accepting the way that abuse has shaped me in my overall mistrust of people. Recognizing that living with that hurt will, ultimately, do no good and making the self-call to not be a product of the clichéd “hurt people hurt people.” The second verse (featuring my long-time friend and collaborator GINI’) is from the perspective of someone who is still in that headspace to spread as much hurt as possible, in search of empathy. By the end of both verses, both perspectives land on the same word, “excuse.” They don’t think exactly the same, but recognize that they are on that same spectrum—the hurt. That pain that dulls and turns into “teal” if left unchecked.”
Mason also explained the significance behind the “TEAL” section of the band’s name and the aforementioned reference to “teal” regarding “Excusing The Hurt”: “the titular “TEAL” in our name represents calcified stress. The aged issues that we face, but never address or get proper relief from; [it] could be as specific as not having money for medication that you need or as broad as being a minority in this country. The funny thing is that the textbooks say “teal” represents balance, but I personally see dormant issues under the face of what would be an otherwise louder or unapologetic color. “Teal” is what you’re facing that most don’t see. This band is a vessel for that “teal” to be extracted and let out. I feel that can only happen through movement and community. That kinetic energy brings heat and through that heat, the problems or “teal” melts away and you have catharsis. Something that brings catharsis through movement and community other than a Devil’s game? Hardcore. That’s why the [GOOD TEAL EP] cover has a hot blood orange backdrop with teal faces and everyone melting into one another. This is what I see when I go to these shows. People are letting their unspoken stress go from 90 seconds to two minutes seconds at a time in a state of collective carelessness. It’s euphoric. This EP is me exploring through my personal assembly of that stress for the first time on record.” GOOD TEAL will be playing three East Coast shows in the upcoming weeks: at The Meatlocker in Montclair, NJ on 8/15, Holy Frijoles in Baltimore, MD on 8/16, and a very special GOOD TEAL EP Release Show at Williams Center in Rutherford, NJ on 8/24. We’ve included show flyers below with some additional details, but we suggest you also go Follow GOOD TEAL on Instagram, as well, for information on upcoming shows, new releases, etc. We’ve heard an advance of the whole 8-track GOOD TEAL EP and can assure you it’s definitely something not to be missed; if pressed, we would compare GOOD TEAL’s sound to the combined frantic, feverish, and revolutionary sounds of Bad Brains, Henry Rollins-era Black Flag, Fishbone, and Rage Against The Machine. GOOD TEAL will be self-rereleasing their self-titled debut EP this upcoming Friday, August 15, 2025 across digital streaming platforms.
GOOD TEAL show flyers for The Meatlocker, Holy Frijoles, and Willams Center (SOURCE: Reg Mason)
