Singled Out: Tucker Woods' Pura Vida

10-17-2023

Tucker Woods just released their new single "¡Pura Vida!", from their forthcoming album, "Sunshine Blues", and to celebrate we asked songwriter, guitarist and vocalist Chris Hurd to tell us about the track. Here is the story:

I wrote "¡Pura Vida!" early in demoing our new album, Sunshine Blues. I had a chord progression and melody sitting around for some time, but not the inspiration for the lyrics so the song never really took shape. I just knew it was something worth revisiting when the time came.

I happened to be walking near the waterfront with an old friend, and on one of the walls overlooking the sound there was some graffiti reading '¡Pura Vida!'. She pointed it out and mentioned it wasn't just words. It's a Costa Rican phrase she had learned backpacking. When I asked what it meant, she said 'everything' and explained how the phrase was used. It struck a chord with me; the whole hello/goodbye nature of it, how it's a sign of respect and beauty. I thought it was cool and something one could be striving for in a sense, too. ¡Pura Vida! That's what the song turned into: brighter days, vibrant people, beautiful places inspiring you. It became a love song to passion-driven lives that inspire and give off positive energy, to people who stand up and stay true.

"¡Pura Vida!" may have been the first song we recorded in the sessions, too. There's a bit of a melancholy, rainy-day vibe in the verses with the guitar, but when the chorus hits, it opens up like the sun coming out. It suits the song's meaning well, taking you on a ride just like every day does.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen and watch for yourself below and learn more about the album here