Epic punk collective Fake Names share new video for single ‘If You Could See Me Today’ ahead of their upcoming album Punk Ruins, out October 23. The track finds jangle pop emerging from the band’s D.C. post-hardcore roots; crackling guitars meet gritty bassline and effortlessly magnetic vocals, as the band reflects on remnants of a distant past.
Listen to Fake Names’ latest single ‘If You Could See Me Today’ here.
Fake Names consists of punk mainstays Brian Baker (Minor Threat, Dag Nasty, Bad Religion), Dennis Lyxzén (Refused, INVSN), Michael Hampton (S.O.A., Embrace, The Faith), Johnny Temple (Girls Against Boys, Soulside), and new drummer Mario Rubalcaba (Rocket From The Crypt, Off!). Punk Ruins was produced by Matthew Bernhardt (Superchunk, Bob Mould) at Chicago’s iconic Electrical Audio studios.
Despite each member’s celebrated status, their collaboration feels unforced. “There are no guardrails or perceived direction here and this just comes out,” shares Baker, emphasizing, “this album is a collective expression, and a lot of the fun is seeing how the hell it is going to turn out.” The band’s musicianship elevated Baker and Hampton’s initial ideas, while giving Lyxzen room to explore vocal styles. “I think that a lot of these songs give me an opportunity to sing in a way that nowadays I usually don’t,” he explains, “It’s always cool to be able to experiment with your voice, melodic sensibility and language.” That creative freedom shines on tracks like the groove driven “Diamond Buzz” and the title track’s undeniable D.C. hardcore sound, elevated by Lyxzén’s belting vocals and razor-sharp hooks.
Fake Names is a “mutual admiration society,” according to Baker, melding 70’s UK punk with classic hardcore energy and dynamic guitar-driven power-pop. The band released their classic rock-leaning self-titled debut in 2020, followed by 2023’s Expendables, produced by Adam “Atom” Greenspan (IDLES, Yeah Yeah Yeahs), who helmed a sonically cleaner, richer sound for the group.
Fake Names
Punk Ruins
Tracklist
- Until It’s Normal
- Good Old Days
- Punk Ruins
- Cover The Distance
- What I Tell Myself
- Diamond Buzz
- Language Lost
- Beautiful Scars
- If You Could See Me Today
- The Little Wonders
- Scream
- Paradise
FOLLOW FAKE NAMES
