Today, post-punk dream team Fake Names debut their new single ‘Expendables’ - the galloping title track from their upcoming record out on March 3rd via Epitaph Records.
Fake Names is comprised of members Brian Baker (Minor Threat, Bad Religion, Dag Nasty), Michael Hampton (S.O.A., Embrace), Dennis Lyxzén (Refused, INVSN, The [International] Noise Conspiracy), Johnny Temple (Girls Against Boys, Soulside) and Brendan Canty (Fugazi, Rites of Spring.)
Formed in 2016, Baker describes the band as a “mutual admiration society,” saying that once the five members got in the same room together, it felt as if they had already been in the band together for years. “There’s this intangible energy, a clairvoyance that comes from our shared experience,” he explains. On ‘Expendables,’ the result pairs their unparalleled pedigree with a pop sensibility that’s slightly unexpected and wholly satisfying.
Boasting modern production paired with Bad Religion-esque backing vocals, Brian Baker says of ‘Expendables‘, “that song has so much classic Michael Hampton in it that I just laugh every time I play it. It’s just so hooky and it’s got this soaring chorus that still excites me now and I’ve heard it, like, 175 times.”
Aided by producer Adam “Atom” Greenspan (IDLES, Yeah Yeah Yeahs), the upcoming album has a surprisingly cleaner sound for the hardcore punk veterans. According to Baker, “the pop influences are a little more out front on this one and the production really helps it shine. It sounds more direct, more urgent.” It’s the latest exchange in a musical conversation that spans four decades, but instead of rehashing the past, ‘Expendables’ is a reinvention that sees the band dialling back the distortion and leaning into the melodies.
Previous single release ‘Delete Myself‘ plus this new track promise a banger of an album, to be played on loud!
Pre-order ‘Expendables‘ from HERE
Main Photo Credit: GLEN.E.FRIEDMAN
- Targets
- Expendables
- Delete Myself
- Go
- Don’t Blame Yourself
- Can’t Take It
- Damage Done
- Madtown
- Caught In Between
- Too Little Too Late
Keep up with Fake Names on Their Socials
Need more Punk In Your Life?
Live review: Guana Batz at Facebar, Reading, 3rd July 2025
It’s forty years since Guana Batz released their debut ‘Held Down to Vinyl…At Last’ and there has been a seismic change in the music scene
EP review: Petrichor release their self-titled debut
The kids are alright, folks. Washington DC quartet Petrichor are probably sick of journos like me mentioning their age (all between 13 and 15 years
Terminal Sleep/Spaced, London New Cross Inn, 8th July 2025
Truly, Real Life Presents has been on a roll recently, with a week of great hardcore shows now coming to a close with a beast
Shake Some Acton gig #102, London The Lexington, 5th July 2025
There are plenty of gigs happening tonight, including a fair few rock n’ roll ones, but we rest assured that we’ve made the right choice
Gig Review: Pussy Riot, New Age Doom, Dolly Min, in The Hague, the Netherlands
On 26th June 2025, Pussy Riot brought their Riot Days show to het Paard in the Hague. Canadians New Age Doom and local punks Dolly
From Post-Punk to Present Tense, Vision Meets Violets in Leeds’ Gothic Temple
Leeds’ music scene breaths grit. Warehouse raves, postpunk rebellions and goth nights have been its lifeblood for decades. The Warehouse hosted Vision Video and The
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!
