SCOWL • Are We All Angels • LP • Pre-Order
SCOWL • Are We All Angels • LP • Pre-Order
Dead Oceans Records
Release date: 4. April 2025
Santa Cruz hardcore band Scowl has announced their new album, “Are We All Angels”, set for release on April 4, 2025, via Dead Oceans. This marks their first album with the label, home to artists like Phoebe Bridgers, Mitski, and Japanese Breakfast.
Produced by Will Yip (Turnstile, Title Fight, Mannequin Pussy), who also worked on their 2023 EP “Psychic Dance Routine”, the album showcases Scowl’s signature venom and antagonism, channeled through a broader, more ambitious sound. Mixed by Rich Costey (Fiona Apple, My Chemical Romance, Vampire Weekend), “Are We All Angels” is steeped in themes of alienation, grief, and a loss of control. The album reflects the band’s evolving role in the hardcore scene—a community that has both embraced them and used them as a lightning rod in recent years.
The lead single, “Not Hell, Not Heaven”, boldly rejects narratives imposed on the band by outsiders. Frontwoman Kat Moss describes the song as “about feeling like a victim and being a victim, but refusing to identify with it.”
“Are We All Angels” sees Scowl exploring ambitious new directions while bending genre norms at every turn. Moss, in particular, displays striking evolution, setting aside some of the raw abrasiveness of the band’s earlier work for a more structured and occasionally tender approach. Her use of harmonies and melodic nuance may surprise even the most devoted Scowl fans. Moss cites an eclectic range of influences beyond hard rock, including Billie Eilish, Radiohead, Car Seat Headrest, and Julien Baker. “Most of us weren’t seasoned musicians when the band started,” she admits. “It was very Germs-esque in that sense, like a baby’s first hardcore band, which was amazing. 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 draws inspiration from acts like Negative Approach, Bad Brains, Hole, Mudhoney, Garbage, Ramones, Pixies, Sonic Youth, and Rocket From The Crypt, among others. Bassist Bailey Lupo notes, “The songwriting for this record was the most collaborative we’ve ever done. Everyone brought so many ideas to the table, and we took the time to analyze and refine them. Our diverse tastes, influences, and personalities come through in every corner of this album.”
Despite their eclectic approach, Scowl retains their sharp edge, delivering the rage and frustration that fuel their sound. Their commitment to punk’s ethos and community spirit remains unwavering. “Hardcore and punk have shaped how we operate, what we want to do as a band, and how we participate,” says guitarist Malachi Greene. “At our core, we are a punk and hardcore band, no matter how the song evolves.”