Today, Southern California punk band FIDLAR have returned with their vicious new single, “FSU.” Storming back after a three year hiatus, the band has come out swinging with their first original music since the release of their third studio album ALMOST FREE in 2019. Produced by Grammy Award-winning recording mastermind Dave Sardy (Spoon, LCD Soundsystem, Red Hot Chili Peppers), “FSU” is abrasive in all the right ways, as frontman Zac Carper’s guttural vocals and lyricism are point-blank as ever as he rally cries “I’ve been waking up, getting so fucked up. I’m so fucked up, trying to fuck shit up.” Combined with walls of instrumentation that crash and recede like violent waves, the track is a brutally truthful shout into the void. Debuting alongside the song today is an accompanying music video directed by Ryan Baxley that features a black and white frenzied performance in which the band is seen bloodied and bruised, as they chaotically hand-poke tattoos and tear at raw steak with their teeth before being consumed by black tar. Simply put, it’s an encapsulation of FIDLAR fucking shit up. The debut taste of the band’s forthcoming EP arriving in early 2023, “FSU” can be heard now HERE.
“New FIDLAR is leaning into the extremes,” says the band. “Loud, louder, loud. Three chords and the truth. Catchy and obnoxious. Lyrics are very thought mouth. It’s speaking to the FIDIOTS of the world.”
To usher in this new era of FIDLAR, the trio – comprised of Zac Carper, Max Kuehn, and Brandon Schwartzel – will be playing a handful of comeback shows in select cities this fall including SOLD OUT shows in Los Angeles and New York, as well as shows in San Francisco and Boston. For tickets and more information, please visit HERE and see below for a complete list of dates.
FIDLAR – 2022 TOUR DATES
September 8th, 2022 – The Fonda Theatre – Los Angeles, CA (SOLD OUT)
September 9th, 2022 – The Fonda Theatre – Los Angeles, CA (SOLD OUT)
September 10th, 2022 – The Fillmore – San Francisco, CA
October 28th, 2022 – Paradise Rock Club – Boston, MA
October 29th, 2022 – Irving Plaza – New York, NY (SOLD OUT)
Starting out as a group of drunken punks playing gnarly house shows around Los Angeles in the early 2010’s, FIDLAR’s fanbase exploded and congealed into “FIDIOTS”: fans who show their dedication to both the band and their mantra of “fuck it dog, life’s a risk.” With songs like “Cheap Beer” and “Wake Bake Skate”, the light speed rocket that was 2012’s eponymous album blasted them into the stratosphere where they had the room to expand the idea of the band. Being thrust into the loneliness of space, they were confronted by the void and slog of touring and responded to their introspection with 2015’s TOO, where they grappled with how to age gracefully as hard partying punks headed towards their 30s. This pushed the band further to the edges of their comfort zone, as the group of SoCal weirdos suddenly found themselves tearing up stages at gigantic festivals like Coachella, Lollapalooza, Reading and Leeds and more. Always continuing to propel, refine and expand their sound, the band delivered their most recent album ALMOST FREE in 2019 – a project that gave audiences a glimpse beyond their signature “punk and indie” influences with tracks like The Beastie Boys-tinged “Get Off My Rock” and heartbreak duet “Called You Twice” featuring Grammy-nominated artist K. Flay.
During the pandemic when they were unable to tour, each band member separately dove into their own pet projects and experimented with different styles of music. These individual endeavors unintentionally caused them to shake off the impulse to layer “bells and whistles” (not literally, but kinda) to their songs, like they had been doing progressively over the years. Now over a decade together as a band – one that’s seen them duck-dive the choppy waves that are the modern music industry – FIDLAR are ready for the next gnarly set. Armed with three chords, the truth, and some jazz cabbage, FIDLAR has a newfound appreciation of not only where they came from, but where they are now.
Editor.
