Bay Area hardcore band Spy releasing new EP 'Habitual Offender,' playing shows (stream a track)
Bay Area hardcore band Spy will follow their buzzed-about 2020 debut EP Service Weapon with another new EP, Habitual Offender, on October 1 via To Live A Lie Records (pre-order). The EP was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Charles Toshio (Sunami, Gulch, World Peace), and it features six songs in 10 minutes with an overtly political theme. “In my mind [punk] is inherently political,” says vocalist Peter Pawlak. “It makes sense to me that if you’re making angry music then you’re gonna be yelling about something you have genuine rage about.”
The first single is “Exceptional American,” which premieres in this post. It’s an absolutely gnarly sounding song, and this one directs its rage towards the concept of American exceptionalism and patriotism, as Peter explains:
“Exceptional American” is an attempt to convey that the concept of American Exceptionalism is an absurd one, not grounded in any reality, serving only to boost the American ego. Given, among many other issues, the rough state of inequalities in American life (from the inception of this country to the present day), we’d be fools to believe this America we know to be some sort of beacon of light for the rest of the world. We’re (you’re, I’m) no better than anyone else, and to believe otherwise is to be in full submission to self-aggrandizing lies. My frustration (and the inspiration for this song) is that this idea appears to be woven into the very fabric of what it means to be “American” to so many, who seemingly do genuinely believe that the particular country they happen to have been born in can do no wrong. Fervent displays of patriotism and pride help to solidify this attitude and give it a fanatical and dogmatic quality that is as gross as it is dangerous. This track is not meant to be an anti-American diatribe for the sake of shock value, but rather an expression of frustration towards those who actively refuse to acknowledge just how fucked up things really are.
Listen below.
Spy have upcoming shows, including West Coast dates this month and next (with Municipal Waste, Ingrown, Vamachara, and more), as well as an East Coast one-off at Brooklyn’s Saint Vitus Bar on September 30 with locals Combust, Gel, and Dog Breath (tickets). They also play FYA 8 in Tampa in 2022. All dates are listed below.
Spy — 2021/2022 Tour Dates
9/17/21 – Portland, OR @ Brightside Social Club (Ingrown, Initiate)
9/18/21 – Tacoma, WA @ Just Another Gig 2 w/ Vamachara, Ingrown, Odd Man Out, Lower Species
9/30/21 – Brooklyn, NY @ St Vitus w/ Combust, Gel, Dog Breath
10/5/21 – Petaluma, CA @ The Phoenix Theater w/ Municipal Waste, Hirax, Skeletal Remains
10/8-10/9/21 – Denver, CO @ Convulse Showcase
1/8-1/9/22 – Tampa, FL @ FYA FEST 8
