Pardoner Share Lead Single 'Future of Music' From Newly Announced EP

Pardoner has announced their blistering new EP Paranoid In Hell and share lead single “Future Of Music.”

Recorded in a day with Philadelphia-based artist and producer Justus Proffit, the 4-song collection traffics in minimalist hardcore, starry-eyed slacker rock, and the band’s trademark, witty lyricism and caustic critiques. Paranoid in Hell is out May 24th via Convulse Records, vinyl pre-order available HERE.

On the single, Max Freeland shares “I was going for a Dils-esque track with a bit of The Mice influence, kind of played through a filter of slacker rock type stuff. Lyrically, it’s a close-minded little number about feeling disdain towards the current shape of rock and roll music, in function and form, in both the packaging and the content. The industry and the discourse around it. It was the best of times, and yes, it was the worst of times. The title is a tongue-in-cheek reference to how the future of music most likely will sound like… the past of music?”

The release follows the band’s 2023 LP Peace Loving People, a record that runs the gamut from big 90’s hooks likened to Teenage Fan Club or Smudge, to wiry Devo-tinged riffs, and even edging into off-the-rails US hardcore territory à la Void, juxtaposing disparate genres against each other and molding them into something uniquely Pardoner. Rolling Stone included the album in their Best Indie Albums of 2023, writing “this endlessly fun record will have you mumbling right along," and Bandcamp named it one of 2023’s Best Albums, saying “Peace Loving People is everything an indie rock record should be.”

Formed by Max Freeland (vocals/guitar), Trey Flanigan (vocals/guitar), and River Van Den Berghe (drums) while they were college students in San Francisco, the band quickly made a name for themselves with their visceral live show and relentless release schedule, becoming one of the Bay’s most beloved bands. The addition of Colin Burris (bass) in 2019 cemented the lineup, and despite the members now being split between both coasts, they’ve kept up a rigorous touring regiment, embarking on a nation headline tour last Summer, followed by a run supporting Gel. Next month, the band kick off a run of west coast headline dates, joined by Guitar & Nick Normal. 

Tour Dates:

5/9 - Victoria, BC @ White Eagle Polish Hall 

5/10-11 - Vancouver, BC @ Better Things to Do Fest 

5/12 - Seattle, WA @ Black Lodge 

5/13 - Olympia, WA @ Mortuary 

5/14 - Portland, OR @ Show Bar 

5/15 - Eugene, OR @ John Henry’s 

5/16 - San Francisco, CA @ Kilowatt 

5/17 - Los Angeles, CA @ Permanent Records Roadhouse

EP Tracklist:

01 Future of Music

02 Distant Star

03 Over the Moon

04 Instrument of Peace

Photo Credit: Marisa Kriangwiwat Holmes

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