Santa Cruz hardcore group Scowl have found a place in their scene since debuting in 2019; They have a handful of releases under their belt and they’ve opened for acts like Deftones and Turnstile. They’ve just reached another major milestone: Scowl just landed a new label home by signing with Dead Oceans.
To celebrate the big step, the band has shared a new single, “Special,” today (October 8). Singer Kat Moss says of the song:
“Originally, Malachi [Greene, guitarist] sent in the demo while we were touring the UK. Cole [Gilbert] added his flare on drums, Bailey [Lupo, bassist] directed the bridge, and finally, Mikey [Bifolco, guitarist] cooked up his leads. ‘Special’ is a kamikaze. 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.”
The band’s first release was a self-titled EP in 2019. Their second EP, Reality After Reality…, arrived later that year, and that was followed by their debut album, How Flowers Grow, in 2021. They also had a third EP, Psychic Dance Routine, in 2023; Uproxx named that release one of the most-anticipated indie albums of that spring.
Listen to “Special” above.