"Fast, melodic punk rock with humor and sarcasm. Despite life's challenges and emotions, we are always able to stay on top."
Baltimore, Maryland-based punk band Dead End Lane are known for their super catchy vocal melodies – and they’re not afraid to throw in an occasional Punk/Hardcore and Horror punk/50s song!
‘CRUSH‘ was released on 11th April 2026, a self-recorded, self-engineered DIY album through a small, independent, but mighty label, Shakin’ Hips Records.
Dead End Lane vocalist Erin Maltese tells us what makes ‘CRUSH‘ different; “Our honesty. This album is raw and it’s honest. It is literally my heart and my life on my sleeve and the unwavering support and creativity of my bandmates who are 3 of my best friends. It includes a song dedicated in memory to my father (including a voicemail he left me) as my goodbye to him because I never got the chance, as he passed away unexpectedly. It’s my way of honoring him and helping anyone out there struggling through grief.”
Erin continues; “It includes a song with my 8 year old son’s vocals speaking to hope for humankind in the next generation of our youth. It includes songs that may seem sarcastic in nature that actually speak to inclusion of women artists, helping society rather than harming it and taking a stance against bullying.”
The rest of Dead End Lane are: Tyler Soprano – guitar & vocals, Josh Douglas – bass & vocals and Will West – drums, vocals & violin. Together they
Opener ‘Paper Heart‘ sets the scene – 50s Doo-wop on speed, with thrashing guitars and bold bass lines somehow working perfectly alongside the heartfelt vocal harmonies. Will’s skilful drumming marries the two opposites together perfectly, fast pace, controlled taps – it’s like nothing you’ve heard before and it’s magnificent!
Colleen Curran contributes guest vocals on ‘Gwen‘, this number blending Ska, Rock and Blues with a Hardcore chorus of “You sound like Gwen Stefani!” (Stefani started her career as a singer in her brother’s ska band No Doubt, before reinventing their sound to a poppier appeal). Colleen also features on ‘So Fake‘, a belter of a punk song with a hilarious video (see below)! The plastic surgery ‘enchanced’, wig-wearing, fish lip-filled fakes reckon you’re not good enough to be their friend – except on social media of course, where you’re nothing but a number to boost their popularity…
“I don’t wanna go out tonight” sings Erin on ‘Antisocial‘, a remarkably upbeat song about the fatigue of getting ready for an evening out. Again we have that wonderful blend of 50’s style vocals and rockin’ music!
Coercive control is the subject of ‘I Don’t Want To‘. It starts out as a slower Doo-wop number, before halfway through, the pace really picks up. It’s a serious subject, and sadly too many people are subjected to this form of abuse. The shift in tone at the end of the song sets a firm boundary “I really don’t want to.”
We’ve reached ‘The Limit‘ – an Oi! style rocker with guest vocals from Roman. All the things that push us to the edge are explored in a song that’s bound to get the mosh pit going! The ‘Invaders‘ in your head can be a nightmare, trapping us with thoughts that affect our mental health. This powerful number which also features Roman encourages us to reach out to our friends when things get bad – you don’t have to go through tough times alone.
The bane of anyone alternative’s existence, the ‘Mean Girls‘ often continue their nastiness well beyond school… “Real women don’t treat others like shit” and the repeated refrain “Help each other up” in this Hardcore banger sees Erin blast the bad behaviour of those in our scene who throw “hissy fits” and try to pull other women down.
Self-doubt is the subject of ‘Zero‘. “Sometimes I feel like I don’t belong” sings Erin. There’s an cracking guitar solo from Tyler in the break! Final number ‘Crying Over You‘ is Erin’s lovely tribute to her late father. The lyrics are beautiful and very definitely from the heart, in a Punk rocker of a song with yet more excellent bass work from Josh keeping it motoring along.
Dead End Lane give you “our sarcastic thoughts about life with 10 new tracks trying to make sense of this crazy world!” – in this belter of an album. If you’d like to add something a bit different to your Punk collection, this is the record for you!
‘CRUSH‘ is available on vinyl via Shakin’ Hips Records HERE and also on digital download HERE
Main Photo Credit: HEATHER
- Paper Heart
- Gwen
- So Fake
- Antisocial
- I Don’t Want To
- The Limit
- Invaders
- Mean Girls
- Zero
- Crying Over You
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Usually found jumping around down the front at gigs, I also relish taking photos and videos, singing, speaking with fellow music fans, and asking musicians the questions nobody else does. Writing about my favourite bands and connecting with people who love music too keeps me more-or-less sane! I’ve worked for over 25 years at a video production company, mainly filming live music events, therefore I have an additional backstage perspective on the scene.
Did you know that we are 100% DIY? We run our own game. No one dictates to us, and no one drives what we can or cannot put on our pages – and this is how we plan to continue!
