Hardcore menaces Scowl are bruising themselves into a bold new era, with the NorCal band having just dropped a new single called “Special” in conjunction with their just-announced signing to Dead Oceans Records.
The song — which the band began working on while touring through the U.K. — marks the first new music from Scowl since the release of 2023’s Psychic Dance Routine EP, and it follows the direction of that record, fusing their tried-and-true hardcore attack with more accessible alt-rock elements.
“‘Special’ is a kamikaze,” Scowl vocalist Kat Moss explained of the single’s theme. “The lyrics are about threatening the audience by asking ‘what do you really want’ in clear desperation to answer my own question: ‘What do I really want?’ But the answer is simple, I want to feel alive.”
Scowl hit the studio to track “Special” with Grammy-nominated producer Will Yip, who’d also worked with them on Psychic Dance Routine, while the song was then mixed by Rich Costey (Fiona Apple, Deftones, Vampire Weekend).
Though Scowl are now labelmates with the likes of Mitski, Phoebe Bridgers, Bright Eyes and more, joining up with venerable indie-rock imprint Dead Oceans hasn’t dulled the Bay Area outfit’s punishing approach. “Special” retains Moss’ raw and impassioned screamed vocal style, while nevertheless expanding the parameters of the outfit’s pop-and-punk-exploring sound.
You can see for yourselves via the rustic, creepily-masked, folk-horror-styled music video up above.