Santa Cruz, California, hardcore band Scowl have signed to Dead Oceans and are kicking off their new era with “Special.” The single reunites them with Grammy-nominated producer Will Yip, who worked on last year’s Psychic Dance Routine EP. The new song also comes with a music video directed by Silken Weinberg, which you can watch below.

“Originally [guitarist] Malachi [Greene] sent in the demo while we were touring the UK,” Scowl singer Kat Moss recounted in a press release. “Cole [Gilbert] added his flare on drums; [bassist] Bailey [Lupo] directed the bridge; and, finally, [guitarist] Mikey [Bifolco] 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.”

Scowl released their debut album, How Flowers Grow, back in 2021. Since then, they’ve released Psychic Dance Routine and a notable remix of its title track by Nuovo Testamento.

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