Tulsa hardcore band weepcar are set to release their debut EP So You Keep Your Eyes Closed at the End on August 1st via OneAux, with a release show scheduled for August 3rd at Whittier Bar alongside Professional Golfer and Sun Vow.
The five-track offering delivers metallic, abrasive hardcore soaked in existential dread, political collapse, and the bleak mechanics of war. Shaped by a mix of DC hardcore, Midwest screamo, and 90s mathcore.
“It’s a visceral metallic hardcore EP,” the band states, “grappling with themes of the inhumanity of war, iniquities of capitalistic collapse, and existential horror.”
Weepcar’s formation has roots in something far from the chaos they now create. Drummer Jonathan Ainley and guitarist Matthew Torbett originally came up with the name around 2017 “through a cascading series of inside jokes,” promoting a nonexistent synthpop band as a prank among friends. “They were so bad,” they admit about the early songs. But the joke grew legs in the community, and after the pandemic, things took a heavier turn.
By 2022, the core trio—Jonathan, Matthew, and guitarist Evan Inman-Butts—reunited after playing in several high school bands together. They began crafting heavier material, leaning into a more dissonant and chaotic direction. As the band put it, “We all started loving the dissonance and chaos and we gradually drifted more and more to hardcore.”
Bassist Adrianna Faulkenberry and vocalist Matt Williams would complete the final lineup, shaping weepcar into what they now call “bizarro-hardcore.” Adrianna, with a background in heavier styles, contributes what the band describes as an unpredictable layer: “Her parts are never quite what you would expect a bassist to play and it adds a subtle complexity to the sound that I just love.”
When Williams came in, most of the music was already written, but his input shifted the whole approach. “He wrote lyrics to them, he came back with a lot of arrangement and structure suggestions,” they explain. “Those and his lyrics and vocal delivery I think really brought our songs together to be something really unique and interesting.” A dedicated reader, Williams pulled lyrical inspiration from literature, infusing the songs with thematic weight and narrative bite.
Songwriting usually starts with Evan or Matthew bringing nearly-completed ideas, which the rest of the group reshapes collaboratively. “Usually a finished song is something totally different than the original framework we started with,” they admit, emphasizing the fluid and organic development of each track.
The EP will be available on streaming platforms and cassette via OneAux, a Tulsa label known for its support of fringe and experimental acts. The band is also planning a Bandcamp listening party the Wednesday before release, and hopes to focus on writing new material afterwards. “Since we’ve been working on the EP for a little while, we haven’t done much new stuff,” they say, adding that there’s already “a backlog of riffs just waiting to be fleshed out.”
Tulsa’s underground scene has fostered a wide range of sounds, and weepcar sits alongside other acts like Ectospire (haunted death metal), Squelching (“hate from the 918” slam), and Diced (hardcore punk), all sharing DIY roots. Weepcar also shout out venues like Noise Town and Mass Movement Community Arts, where they rehearse and play, as well as Whittier Bar—“almost a second home to us”—where they played their first show and will host the EP release.
Their genre identity may still be up for debate—“We know people can get nitpicky about what IS and IS NOT ‘hardcore’ or whatever”—but in their own words, they’ve settled into something different: “bizarro-hardcore.” Whatever you call it, So You Keep Your Eyes Closed at the End is set to hit hard, twist expectations, and offer no simple answers.
Weepcar recommends checking out some bands that represent the diversity of the Tulsa scene, including weepcar, Squelching, Ectospire, Diced, Blind Oath, Static Cathedral, Taker, Tulip Dolls, Leash, Time Theft, Union of a Dying Sun, Professional Golfer, Gangar, Ivory Tusk, Sun Vow, Jor Dan, Sugar/Milk, Fat Dracula, Honduh Daze, and Plastic Psalms.
There are a couple of small labels that have been instrumental in helping Tulsa music reach a wider audience. OneAux, for instance, “has really filled a niche in Tulsa in the last few years that I think really may be unique to our little scene.” Known for hosting a monthly open mic night where “anyone [can] perform anything they want for 10 minutes,” OneAux puts a spotlight on first-time performers and solo electronic acts. “The lineups are always super fun and eclectic, and a lot of the artists have gone on to play regularly at other venues, so it’s been really cool to see it and the participants evolve.”
Their programming doesn’t stop there. They regularly organize shows that blend genres like noise, ambient, and experimental, often placing “super energetic hardcore or metal acts with harsh noise or modular synth ambient in between.” This creates crossover moments for audiences who “wouldn’t normally see this kind of fringe stuff.” OneAux also recently started producing physical releases — “and that’s who is putting out our EP.”
Another longtime supporter of the Tulsa underground is Cult Love. “Cult Love has been around for about 10 years. They are first and foremost a small tape label and have put out metal, hardcore, hiphop and noise albums very regularly that entire time.” Over time, they’ve grown into “something of an arts collective” that not only releases music, but also hosts art shows and other events.
Among the DIY venues that shape the scene, Noise Town stands out as “such a cool little spot.” Run by Mike and Dustin — “two of the nicest guys” — it hosts a lot of OneAux events and offers “the most varied plethora of shows imaginable. One night it’s death metal and the next it’s singer-songwriter or country.” The venue also rents practice space — “this is where we practice weekly” — and even offers music lessons.
Mass Movement Community Arts is described as “kind of the hub of Tulsa hardcore it seems.” While they host all kinds of shows, hardcore remains a central focus. The collective is made up of musicians — “all the people that run it are in bands (a lot of the ones I mentioned above I believe)” — and they’ve created a space that supports both artists and audiences. “I believe they also rent their space for practices.”
Lastly, Barkingham Palace keeps things raw and close to the floor, literally. “Barkingham is a house basement venue and their shows get packed out every time.” A small group of artists live in the house and run the space, and “it seems like they are passionate about just hosting the wildest shows possible.”
Among more traditional venues in Tulsa, Whittier Bar holds a special place for weepcar. “Whittier is almost a second home to us; our first show was here and our EP release is here.” The venue is deeply embedded in the local scene — “the owner is in one of the bands listed above” — and consistently supports traveling bands. “They really like to cater to travelling bands coming through Tulsa, for example Chat Pile played here like right as they were getting big a few years ago and it was NUTS.” Weepcar has shared the stage here with acts from across the U.S. and beyond. “We’ve been on bills here with bands from Oakland, NYC, Atlanta and Tokyo. Always great shows with a good audience.”
The Vanguard is described by the band as “the most regular venue on this list.” It features “the biggest stage and most room in the house” and tends to book the more prominent names on tour. Weepcar recalls a standout show there: “We played here recently with Kaonashi, Ballista and Rakuyo. One of the best audiences we’ve seen; they were all so excited to be there and made it a super fun show.”
In terms of documentation and behind-the-scenes impact, Thrash Cam plays a key role in preserving Tulsa’s underground culture. “Thrash Cam films every show she possibly can here and in OKC. She posts clips on instagram and full sets on youtube. I think she’s made the scene immeasurably better through documentation.” Her consistent visual archiving adds a lasting dimension to what might otherwise be fleeting live experiences.
l.i.b.e.r.a.l.m.e.d.i.a. is another important figure in the community — a local producer and recording engineer committed to amplifying the sound of heavier Tulsa acts. “He (Pete Hess is his name) recorded our EP (with the help of Tahlia Tinkham and Paul Howerton) as well as an upcoming release from Diced.” His work behind the boards is essential to the development and sonic identity of projects like weepcar’s upcoming release.
