American Authors Release Dreamy New Single “Race Car”

Brooklyn-based pop-rock band American Authors has just released their newest single, “Race Car.” This dreamy track, filled with soothing stacked harmonies and addicting guitar riffs, transports listeners into the whirlwind experience of a summer romance.

After forming at Boston’s Berklee College of Music in 2006 and moving to Brooklyn shortly after, American Authors first saw their music careers take off with 2014’s multi-platinum single, “Best Day of My Life.” As of 2025, this anthemic hit has accumulated over 1 billion streams and was featured in over 600 TV shows, movie trailers, and commercials.

“Race Car” stays true to the band’s alternative and pop-rock roots, seamlessly blending its catchy pop melody with smooth, intoxicating guitar riffs. According to frontman Zac Barnett, the track is meant to invoke the feeling of a fast-moving, passionate relationship that you know is never meant to last, like a romance you would have on a summer vacation.

“‘Race Car’ is a song about momentary love & falling for someone fast even though you know it’s only going to last a season. It’s that intense feeling of passion you find on a trip or vacation only for it to disintegrate once you get back to reality.”

Zac Barnett (vocals/guitar for American Authors)

The song perfectly replicates the sugar-coated nostalgia of summer romance with a sound reminiscent of early 2010s alternative pop hits. On first listen, it immediately sounds like a song you’ve known and loved for years already, enticing you to keep coming back for more of that warm, nostalgic feeling.

Since the success of their 2014 debut album Oh What a Life and its Billboard Hot 100 hit “Best Day of My Life,” American Authors has shown no signs of slowing down. They’ve opened for popular acts such as OneRepublic, O.A.R., and The Revivalists, and they’ve played at major music festivals like Lollapalooza and Reading & Leeds. Their 2016 sophomore album, What We Live For, gave them another Top 20 hit in the form of “Go Big or Go Home,” and their latest LP, 2024’s Call Your Mother, is filled with hit folk-inspired tracks like “Daisies” and “My Last Dime.”

“Race Car” comes off the heels of two other American Authors singles this year, June’s folk-heavy “This Little Light of Mine” and April’s country-influenced “Tumble Down (The Whistle Song).” As Barnett puts it, “We’ve never been afraid to explore new musical genres, but we always try to maintain a message of hope in our music,” and this recent run of diverse yet cohesive singles is no exception.

To stream “Race Car” and learn more about American Authors, click here.