Scowl returns with a new single, “B.A.B.E,” a track that fuses relentless hardcore energy with infectious hooks. The Santa Cruz band, fresh off the announcement of their forthcoming album Are We All Angels, releases the song accompanied by a video featuring behind‑the‑scenes footage from life on the road—a nod to their extensive touring that has taken them to stages around the world.
The debut album drops April 4th via Dead Oceans, with “B.A.B.E” available for streaming and the cassette format on sale.
The song’s structure shifts quickly between melody and raw, scrapping angst. As the band explains, “Burned At Both Ends is another explosion of emotions stemming from both overwhelm and excitement. We felt that the song’s punchy nature and quick switches from melody to scrapping angst resembles a mature version of ‘Shot Down’ from our ‘Psychic Dance Routine’ EP. Lyrically B.A.B.E dives into our vitriol for the extreme circumstances we as a band subject ourselves too in order to live our dreams.”
“B.A.B.E” follows in the wake of earlier tracks—”Not Heaven, Not Hell,” which defies the narratives imposed by outsiders, and “Special,” a song that channels big, anthemic energy without sacrificing the band’s unfiltered intensity. Each release reinforces Are We All Angels as a defining statement from one of hardcore’s most vital and dynamic acts.
Produced by Will Yip, who also helmed their recent Psychic Dance Routine EP, the album sees Scowl channel raw aggression through a broader, more expansive approach. Mixed by Rich Costey, Are We All Angels is marked by themes of alienation, grief, and loss of control while examining the band’s evolving role within a hardcore scene that has both embraced and challenged them.
Vocalist Kat Moss offers the most immediate evolution on the record. Eschewing some of the earlier gnarly bite for a textured, sometimes delicate approach, she flexes harmonies that might surprise even the staunchest fans. Citing influences that extend beyond hard rock—from Billie Eilish and Radiohead to Car Seat Headrest and Julien Baker—Moss reflects,
“The majority of us were really not proficient musicians when this band started. It was very Germs-esque in that way, like baby’s first hardcore band, which is awesome. But now, we still might not know what we’re doing, but we have a better idea of what we want to do.”
Instrumentally, the band nods to Negative Approach, Bad Brains, Hole, Mudhoney, Garbage, Ramones, Pixies, Sonic Youth, and Rocket From The Crypt among others.
Bassist Bailey Lupo emphasizes the collaborative nature of the new record: “The song writing on the new record was the most collaborative to date in Scowl’s history. Everyone brought so many ideas to the table and we were able to dissect it all and take our time. We all have such eclectic tastes, influences and personalities and you can really hear that in every corner on this album.”
Even with a broader sonic palette, Scowl maintains the anger and frustration that have underpinned their work from the start. As guitarist Malachi Greene puts it, “Hardcore and punk have sculpted how we operate, what we want to do as a band, and how we participate. At our core, we are a punk and a hardcore band, regardless of how the song shifts and changes.”
Scowl has established itself as a hard-working act in rock, touring extensively in the U.S. and abroad alongside Limp Bizkit, Destroy Boys, The Bronx, Militarie Gun, Show Me The Body, Zulu, Touche Amore, A Day To Remember, Speed, Sunami, and others.
Festival appearances at Coachella, Reading & Leeds, No Values, Outbreak, Primavera, and Sick New World add to their credentials. Formed in 2019 by Malachi Greene (guitar), Bailey Lupo (bass), Cole Gilbert (drums), Mikey Bifolco (guitar), and Kat Moss (vocals), Scowl broke out in 2021 with How Flowers Grow and quickly garnered attention with cover stories from Alternative Press and Revolver, along with support from Pitchfork, FADER, Stereogum, and Spin Magazine. Their 2023 release, Psychic Dance Routine, further pushed the boundaries of punk by blending aggressive hardcore with lush alternative melodies.
