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Lektron (ft. members of Alkaline Trio, Against Me!, AFI) release debut two-song single
Lektron (ft. members of Alkaline Trio, Against Me!, AFI) release debut two-song single
 on
Tuesday, May 30, 2023 - 17:40
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Thomas

Lektron, a new garage punk outfit led by Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba, released their debut two-song single via Asian Man Records. Both tracks – “Dirty Jacks” and “She’s a War” – are now available on major streaming platforms, and fans can pre-order the vinyl, which is expected to ship by end of June, on asianmanrecords.com. Lektron also confirmed plans for a full-length album supported by extensive touring, with more details to come later this year.

With an all-star lineup and an experimental approach, Lektron marks a brand new musical venture for some of California’s most enduring independent artists, featuring Matt Skiba (Alkaline Trio, Blink-182) on vocals and guitar, Atom Willard (Rocket From The Crypt, Against Me!) on drums, Hunter Burgan (AFI) on bass, and Randy Moore (Spiritworld, Dan Andriano & The Bygones) on lead guitar. Emerging organically from the musicians’ established friendships, Lektron promises to give those involved an opportunity to comfortably explore new creative directions while remaining true to their shared punk roots.

“Dirty Jacks,” for example, builds tension with an energizing and irresistible rhythm that pounds for a full minute before exploding with Skiba’s signature vocal hooks and just the right amount of grit and dissonance. “She’s a War” goes faster and darker, with more stripped down production and a generous dose of fuzz. Both tracks capture what these guys do best: deliver catchy yet macabre punk rock at a frenetic pace, with wry humor and wicked hooks throughout.

The recording process for the band’s first official release started at San Jose’s District Recording before moving down the coast to the Foo Fighters’ Studio 606. The final tracks are now being released by Asian Man Records and Mike Park, another stalwart of the Bay Area’s ever-evolving DIY music scene. Known for nurturing talent and giving bands time and space to develop, Park’s label proved to be a perfect match for the nascent group, providing another opportunity for long-time friends Park and Skiba to collaborate.

Lektron was born in a torrential rainstorm in San Jose, California on a fateful winter night. What started out as an excuse for Matt Skiba to make some noise in a friends studio quickly evolved into a garage-esque punk rock band thanks to the recording prowess of Ryan Perras and the black belt guitar musings and structural sensibilities of Randy Moore (Spiritworld, Dan Andriano & The Bygones). The three built the foundation for the songs "Dirty Jacks" and "She's A War" to be taken up by rhythm section juggernauts Atom Willard (Rocket From The Crypt/Against Me!) on drums and Hunter Burgan (AFI) on bass.