Released: March 10th, 2023

Digital: Download | Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music | More

Physical: Vinyl (Pre-order) | CD (Pre-order)

Album Description:

The music industry, while inclusive in its ideology, is not exempt from mirroring the missteps of society as a whole. Even in punk and DIY subcultures, young people are too commonly barred from contributing their fresh ideas to the scene by 21+ venues, dismissive gatekeepers, and a general lack of resources. Ugly Flannel, a power-trio hailing from Grand Rapids, Michigan, was born of the need to push back against feeling discarded.

Ugly Flannel fans have witnessed the band’s evolution from fledgling musicians to seasoned songwriters. Benjamin Nguyen (Guitar) and Kate Zacharias (Bass) spout relatable lyrics about coming-of-age to crowds across the Midwest, while the band's hard-hitting timekeeper, Athen Erbter (Drums), provides the rhythmic backbone. The result is a nostalgic alternative and emo sound that falls somewhere between Toadies and The Promise Ring. Ben's songs are lackadaisical and snotty enough to fit the bill at a hardcore punk show, while Kate's bright and uplifting melodies could share the stage with fellow Grand Rapidian ska legends, Mustard Plug. Whether on record or live on stage, Ugly Flannel offers punk with an endless range of sounds and moods.

Perhaps nothing better exemplifies this versatility than Ugly Flannel's 2023 album, ‘Goodbye American Dream’, courtesy of Detroit-based record label Young Heavy Souls. The album features the band's many friends and collaborators – including Chris Bernstorf, Luke Dean (Vagabonds), Sean Bonnette (AJJ), and Sam Cook-Parrott (Radiator Hospital) – to drive home the communal celebration. 

‘Goodbye American Dream’ is an album about giving up on your dreams. The majority of the record was written during the turbulence of 2020, when Nguyen and his bandmates Zacharias and Erbter were stuck inside and losing their grip on reality.

"Everything felt pointless," Nguyen recalls. "I lost interest in music, friends, and everything in life that sparked happiness... The album feels like a diary more than anything, and the mistakes I made during that period ultimately show how far I've come." 

Introducing the record with a series of singles, from the surfy and utterly danceable ‘Laundry’ to the fresh spin on 2000’s pop-punk and post-hardcore in ‘Jamie’, it’s an album that has already gained a ton of traction from the DIY community that Ugly Flannel has cultivated over the past six years. Touching on themes like growing up, running with the wrong crowd, and navigating self-destructive behaviors, ‘Goodbye American Dream’ reminds listeners that while life doesn't get better right away, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. 

If their debut album, ‘To Make Up For The Depleted Oxygen’, was the band introducing itself, then 2019's ‘The Schiller In You’ was the band finding its sound. ‘Goodbye American Dream’ is undoubtedly their time to shine.

Credits:

All songs written by Ugly Flannel

Athen Erbter - Drums
Benjamin Nguyen - Vocals, Guitar
Kate Zacharias - Vocals, Bass, Piano, Synth

Luke Start - Vocals, Guitar
Sean Bonnette - Additional Vocals on Vampyr
Sam Cook-Parrot - Additional Vocals on Laundry
Luke Dean - Additional Vocals on Farm
Dan Potthast - Pedal Steel on Farm
Case King - Additional Vocals on Bored
Angie Romero Cruz - Additional Vocals on Bored
Colin Woodford - Melodica on Pulp
Chris Bernstorf - Poem on Pulp
Austin Unseld - Additional Vocals on Jamie
Maddy Peters - Strings on Candy

Recorded by Richard Johnson at Cold War Studios
Mixed/Mastered by Jack Shirley at The Atomic Garden
Cover by Connie Sgarbossa

© 2023 Ugly Flannel. Distributed by Young Heavy Souls Inc Under License from Ugly Flannel. All Rights Reserved.