Stud Count just released their final single in preparation for their upcoming self-titled LP coming out July 22nd via Smartpunk Records. “Maniacal Laughter” shows off a side of frustration and anger towards negative outside influences on people they’re close to.
The fast-paced track is packed with unrelenting energy and emotion, which sets it apart from their other singles “Give Me Time” and “Through my Window,” which all showcased different sides of the band’s sound. Stud Count have proven their range from bright pop melodies to adrenaline-filled punk bangers that we can expect on the upcoming album!
“We wrote this song about losing your friends to their own devices. Sometimes it’s drugs, sometimes it’s rumours, sometimes it’s other stuff. Regardless of the source, it’s painful as hell to watch people go from friends to strangers, but way worse to watch them go from friends to monsters. ”
Stud Count
More about the band: Counting such influences as Wipers, Garbage, and Husker Dü, Stud Count is a new Philadelphia-based band featuring familiar faces. The fresh endeavor is composed of current/former members of Drill Sergeant, The Dividing Line, Academy Order, Fluoride, Leashes, and Fixation. Combining an abrasive post-punk edge with a melodic undercurrent beneath it all, Stud Count features drummer Bret Hart, bassist Jake Beaver, vocalist Norelle Green, Max D’ambra and Matthew Green on guitars.
The group found its beginnings at the tail end of 2019, hanging out in a West Philly apartment. Founding member Matthew Green had written a demo’s-worth of ‘77 style punk songs, seeking to combine the trademark hook-laden proto-punk sound of bands like Buzzcocks and The Undertones with the edge of modern hardcore. Green and drummer Bret Hart had met earlier that year at a local gig while both of their bands at the time were touring steadily.
After some concerted talk, Green and his wife Norelle took a week in the mountains to tighten up a handful of songs with Norelle on main vocals and Matthew on guitar.
Soon after, the band had their first practice, tracked their two-song Demonstration (2020), and planned their first performances. In January 2020, they were invited for a live interview and track premiere on Philadelphia’s Museum of Punk Radio Show and soon after booked their demo release show alongside Webbed Wing, Gel and Luxe. Still riding the high of the gig, the group began to demo songs for a full LP. Unsure of when they’d be able to perform again when the pandemic hit, Matthew and Norelle took to the mountains again to distance track songs for the Pleasure Center Promo (2020, released on tape by Convulse) and tighten demos for a full LP. Later that autumn, the band booked studio time with Zach Miller (Gel, Sick Shit, Fluoride, Academy Order), finishing up that December.
Still unsure of if or when shows would come back, they sat on the record until the summer of 2021 until eventually finding their home on Florida’s Smartpunk Records. With the world opened up and their debut self-titled LP on the way out on July 15th, Stud Count stands to have a busy 2022.
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