Synopsis

Cymbals perform "No Bad Decisions" directly to camera in a bright, energetic studio setting. The band's live-action footage is repeatedly interrupted and embellished by colorful stop-motion drawings, creating a playful collage that moves with the song's upbeat electronic-pop pulse. Rather than following a conventional narrative, the video emphasizes movement, expression and visual spontaneity. The members' jolting performances and the hand-drawn animation give the piece a homemade, art-pop character that matches the track's lively, off-center personality.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video premiered in April 2012, shortly before the release of Cymbals' *Sideways, Sometimes* EP on Tough Love.

• The animation was created by drawing over live-action footage, with the imagery layered into the band's performance rather than presented as a separate animated story.

• The collaborators reportedly used an "exquisite corpse" approach, in which each contributor worked without knowing exactly what the next person would add. The method suited the EP's intentionally disorganized, non-linear aesthetic.

• Cymbals' previous video, "Totally Over," had also been made with very limited resources. The band described it as a one-day, no-budget production, while the small budget available for "No Bad Decisions" was directed toward the animation.

• The video was part of a broader visual identity for *Sideways, Sometimes*. The band treated its artwork as equally important to the music and favored images that approached the record from an oblique angle rather than illustrating its title literally.

• "No Bad Decisions" was recorded during a one-week session at Lightship 95, with the songs produced and mixed during the same period. The concentrated process helped give the EP a sense of cohesion.