Scowl, NME’s latest stars of The Cover, have compiled an exclusive playlist to accompany the story’s launch – check it out below.
The Santa Cruz hardcore band are on this week’s (February 10) edition of The Cover, a weekly manifestation of NME’s commitment to supporting emerging talent across the globe on a weekly basis. Every week, a rising artist will feature on The Cover – you can read the profile of Scowl here, written by Spencer Hughes and featuring photography by Malcolm Squire.
Scowl have curated an exclusive playlist for NME to accompany The Cover, titled ‘New Direction’. The collection features tracks by Bad Brains, Gorilla Biscuits, Ceremony, Doom and Mother Of Mercy, among others. Listen to the full playlist on Spotify below and on Apple Music.
Speaking to NME for The Cover, Scowl discussed their continuing sonic evolution. Since their 2021 debut album ‘How Flowers Grow’, they’ve expanded their sound from traditional, heavy, pissed-off hardcore to the more radio-ready sound of their upcoming second record, ‘Are We All Angels’.
“Some of the most catchy music you ever heard in your whole life is punk as fuck, and people might not wanna admit that sometimes,” bassist Bailey Lupo explains. “Look at Hüsker Dü – they made poppy, catchy, punk as fuck music. I could rant about Ceremony or AFI – bands that are just doing themselves, and that’s punk as fuck too.”
Elsewhere, the five-piece also spoke about the political state of the US right now, frontwoman Kat Moss’ experiences of feeling alienated by the scene she’s supported, and the band’s community-driven ethics.
Find out more about Scowl in the full Cover story here and see who else has been on The Cover here.