One thing that doesn’t suck about 2018 is the amount of noteworthy music our ears are waiting to soak up. And the first album that should be on your radar this year is from Minneapolis punk band, Royal Brat. The four-piece is about to release their debut LP Eyesore, even though they’ve already made a name for themselves in the punk community and toured the US over, slaying through art spaces, warehouses and DIY venues.

This band is about to lead a woke movement through their new LP, as their songs deal with “queer and femme empowerment, the trials of gender dysmorphia and inequality, and the pains of breaking up.” Singer Alex Uhrich describes the record as “a lot about catharsis, about Post breakup limbo, and about discovering identity when things are going wrong” – which, let’s be real, is something we all get.

Through melodic chord progressions, fast-paced rhythms and the powerful urgency in Alex Uhrich’s voice, you’ll find an outlet where you can persevere through the suffering. Simply inserting yourself into the narrative of the songs will help get you there.

The songs are constructed by Alex and his bandmates – Shannon Boyer, Clara Salyer and Conor Burke – all no-bullshit musicians who also work as record label operators, queer activists and have performed in notable bands like Waveless and Babes In Toyland. Whether it’s about personal or societal related issues, Royal Brat offers solace through punk.

Today we’re premiering their song “Full Tilt Duster,” a powerful track that offers a glimpse into what their album Eyesore has to offer. Alex gives us a backstory to the addictive two minute thirty second song:

“The term “Full Tilt Duster” is actually a term coined by members from the L.A. band c57bl/6. It describes somebody who has gone off the rails, somebody whose delusional, and as soon as I heard it I knew I wanted to write lyrics around it. Full Tilt Duster is about a significant relationship that had its claws in me. It’s about my own self-sabotaging nature. It’s about the ambiguity of love, when you’re existing in post-breakup limbo with somebody you don’t want anymore but don’t want to let go of even though you know it’s unhealthy.”

Listen to the single for the first time right here, and then make sure to grab your copy of Eyesore, out on February 21,  to fully experience the magnitude of Royal Brat’s queer/femme/punk influence on the world. –Asal Shahindoust