Celebration Summer, a melodic punk quartet from Washington, D.C., is set to release their new EP A Little Less Numb on December 6 via Den of Wax. The four-track collection, produced by J. Robbins (known for his work with JAWBOX and BURNING AIRLINES), will be available digitally and on limited-edition vinyl. The EP’s lead single, “Sea Shanty,” sets the tone for a project that merges raw punk energy with introspective songwriting, and it caught our attention instantly.
This EP follows their 2021 debut, Against the Gun, and their 2022 album, Patience in Presence. Over the past two years, the band refined their sound and vision, a process heavily influenced by guitarist and vocalist Nate Falger’s exploration of vulnerability in songwriting.
Falger shared insights into his creative process: “I found myself listening to country and folk music to inspire my songwriting. Artists like Benjamin Tod, John Moreland, Austin Lucas, and Ben Nichols of Lucero have such a healthy and powerful way of assessing vulnerability and moving through trauma. I wanted to be vulnerable with myself but not just simply express feelings of anger or anguish. I wanted myself and listeners to come out on the other side of these songs with a sense of positivity – which is the exact inspiration for the EP title.”
A Little Less Numb draws on the influence of iconic Dischord bands such as DAG NASTY, EMBRACE, and RITES OF SPRING, as well as gruff punk staples like LEATHERFACE and HOT WATER MUSIC.
During the writing process, the band also revisited emo and post-hardcore favorites such as GARRISON, FAIRWEATHER, and JAWBOX, which led them to collaborate with J. Robbins.
Bassist Greg Raelson emphasized Robbins’ impact on the EP’s production: “J is a workhorse. The man doesn’t take breaks! Seriously one of the strongest work ethics out there and really gives his best to every band he works with. He was instrumental in providing us really great feedback during our pre-recording get-togethers which in turn led to some subtle changes to songs that really worked well in the studio.”
The EP showcases a polished yet authentic evolution of Celebration Summer’s sound.
Falger concluded: “I feel like I achieved my objective with these songs. I know myself better now and feel ‘a little less numb’ to the world. I hope this EP inspires others in a similar way.”
The band sat down with us to give us their quick track by track rundown, allowing us to dive into some of the details behind their process. Check it out below.
Sea Shanty
The songwriting process for this song has been one of my favorite moments in Celebration Summer. It was pure collaboration! All the ideas for the song immediately came to us when Dan showed us the opening riff for the first time. Greg mentioned he felt the tune had a “nautical’ feel to it and everything came together from there. Brendan Canty’s ship’s bell was the perfect cherry on top for this song too!
Cigarettes & Green Teas
There’s not much to say about this song haha…I guess it’s kind of a love song for my favorite bar – Jimmy’s Old Town Tavern in Northern VA. I admit it’s kind of lame to say a dive bar is one of your favorite places, but I can’t deny it. The place has brought me so much joy over the last 5 or so years and I’ve built some of the greatest friendships there.
Antidote
I really don’t know what to say about this song. It’s dedicated to my girlfriend but it’s also meant to be a moment of self reflection for myself. Relationships are hard work and this song is a reminder to myself to continue to do the work to make it lasting.
Mad World
It’s hard to put my feelings for this song into words.Ultimately, it’s dedicated to my father and meant to convey how important he is to me. I hope he knows I’m a punk rocker because of him. Also, J. Robbins sang backing vocals in the outro…how fucking badass is that!!!! I wish I could go back and tell 16 year old Nate that one day he’d be in the studio collaborating with him.
For the vinyl edition of A Little Less Numb, Celebration Summer and Den of Wax partnered with independent artists across the U.S. The B-side of the EP features an etching created by Dan Emery of Black Matter Mastering (Nashville, TN), based on an illustration by Denver-based artist Dale Novack.
Novack also contributed the insert artwork. The album cover is a photograph by multimedia artist Risa Friedman, also from Denver, while the overall design was handled by Philadelphia’s Kate Lowe.
True to the EP’s nautical dive bar theme, the vinyl itself is a striking mix of blue and tan (“beer”) and was pressed by Burlington Record Plant in Albany, NY. This attention to detail reinforces the boutique ethos of Den of Wax, a label and record store dedicated to creating collectible audio art.
