Dead Pioneers announce their new album "PO$T AMERICAN" today, which will be released on April 11 via Hassle Records (Cargo). At the same time, the band is releasing the second single from the album with the title track!
The link to the second single is as follows:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EibRlLorFTY
Singer and songwriter Gregg Deal says about the single: “Like many people in our communities, we are upset about the obvious and shocking political and social movements in the politics of the United States. From the current government to the governments before, there has been a development in this country that has brought us to the critical moment we are all experiencing. We hope that with this song, maybe, just maybe, we say something that you also feel. “PO$T AMERICAN” is an unapologetic song.
I wrote it on the Independence Day of White people, July 4, 2024. I wrote it while sitting next to my oldest son, watching fireworks and having a discussion about what this day should actually mean. It turned into a discussion about everything that was happening at that moment. I had no idea at that time that the relevant things would escalate and become even more intense. This text was meant to be biting and honest and to voice the quiet things loudly. When we look at the political landscape of the United States, we feel exactly that.”
Recently, the band was invited by Pearl Jam to open for the rock legends from Seattle during their U.S. tour. In May, DEAD PIONEERS will also perform live in Germany for the first time!
DEAD PIONEERS LIVE 2025 Reconstruction Tour with Propagandhi & Pennywise:
21.05. AT-Vienna - Arena
23.05. Augsburg - Gaswerk (Special Guest: WIZO)
25.05. Wiesbaden - Schlachthof
27.05. Cologne - Live Music Hall (Low Tickets!)
29.05. Hamburg - Docks (Low Tickets!)
31.05. Berlin - Zitadelle Spandau
About DEAD PIONEERS and the upcoming album:
How can an album summarize a specific moment in time? Can it capture or predict the mood and state of a nation? The second album by Dead Pioneers suggests this: "PO$T AMERICAN" is the end of the beginning and the beginning of the end. Written in February 2024 and recorded the following July, it anticipates the American elections of 2024, packaging the fears and frustrations as eloquently and, above all, humorously as their self-titled debut, which was released last year via Hassle Records. “Currently, we are in the midst of the stark existence of capitalism, colonialism, white supremacy, and the many oppressive forces that dictate everything around us,” says Deal. “The title PO$T AMERICAN expresses a collective disenfranchisement and disillusionment with the so-called American Dream as we move in hope for a desired unity outside of those who would use us for their own capitalist power grab.”
"PO$T AMERICAN" elegantly balances between minute-long punk explosions, passionate explorations of modern America, and spoken-word interludes, with the shifts in form and tone not distracting from the central themes. The sound palette is largely the same as their debut, but it feels somehow expanded and stronger: it references the confrontational lyrics of Rage Against The Machine, the unfiltered voice of Chuck D and Public Enemy, the storytelling of Johnny Cash, the evolution of IDLES, and punk giants like Black Flag, Rollins Band, and Dead Kennedys.
Although the album was written and recorded in early 2024, it feels forward-looking and reflects today’s general (inter)national mood. “What we wrote was politically and socially relevant. We felt good about it and moved forward in that confidence,” says the band. “It’s sad that devastating statements about fascism, white supremacy, and racism in the American political landscape are somehow more relevant just because of an election, but that’s how it is.” Overall, however, there is a cautious optimism: “Although we did not expect the political relevance to increase, we are not under any illusions about the American Dream or where we seem to be heading. But we have hope that we can get to a better place where people have what they need.” It is an album that speaks to and for exactly this time and place; one that perhaps could not exist at any other time. It is an album for now.
Dead Pioneers consists of guitarists Josh Rivera and Abe Brennan, drummer Shane Zweygardt, and bassist Lee Tesche (who is also the lead guitarist for Algiers), with Gregg Deal as the frontman. Gregg Deal is an artist and activist and a member of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe. A large part of his work includes extensive critiques of American colonialism, society, politics, popular culture, and history. Through his works - including paintings, murals, and performance art - Deal critically engages with themes such as decolonization, stereotypes, and cultural appropriation. He has exhibited his works in national and international cultural centers, including the Smithsonian Institution and the Venice Biennale. After living in Washington D.C. for 17 years, he moved with his family to Colorado, coinciding with his time as Native Arts Artist-In-Residence at the Denver Art Museum.
The link to the second single is as follows:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EibRlLorFTY
Singer and songwriter Gregg Deal says about the single: “Like many people in our communities, we are upset about the obvious and shocking political and social movements in the politics of the United States. From the current government to the governments before, there has been a development in this country that has brought us to the critical moment we are all experiencing. We hope that with this song, maybe, just maybe, we say something that you also feel. “PO$T AMERICAN” is an unapologetic song.
I wrote it on the Independence Day of White people, July 4, 2024. I wrote it while sitting next to my oldest son, watching fireworks and having a discussion about what this day should actually mean. It turned into a discussion about everything that was happening at that moment. I had no idea at that time that the relevant things would escalate and become even more intense. This text was meant to be biting and honest and to voice the quiet things loudly. When we look at the political landscape of the United States, we feel exactly that.”
Recently, the band was invited by Pearl Jam to open for the rock legends from Seattle during their U.S. tour. In May, DEAD PIONEERS will also perform live in Germany for the first time!
DEAD PIONEERS LIVE 2025 Reconstruction Tour with Propagandhi & Pennywise:
21.05. AT-Vienna - Arena
23.05. Augsburg - Gaswerk (Special Guest: WIZO)
25.05. Wiesbaden - Schlachthof
27.05. Cologne - Live Music Hall (Low Tickets!)
29.05. Hamburg - Docks (Low Tickets!)
31.05. Berlin - Zitadelle Spandau
About DEAD PIONEERS and the upcoming album:
How can an album summarize a specific moment in time? Can it capture or predict the mood and state of a nation? The second album by Dead Pioneers suggests this: "PO$T AMERICAN" is the end of the beginning and the beginning of the end. Written in February 2024 and recorded the following July, it anticipates the American elections of 2024, packaging the fears and frustrations as eloquently and, above all, humorously as their self-titled debut, which was released last year via Hassle Records. “Currently, we are in the midst of the stark existence of capitalism, colonialism, white supremacy, and the many oppressive forces that dictate everything around us,” says Deal. “The title PO$T AMERICAN expresses a collective disenfranchisement and disillusionment with the so-called American Dream as we move in hope for a desired unity outside of those who would use us for their own capitalist power grab.”
"PO$T AMERICAN" elegantly balances between minute-long punk explosions, passionate explorations of modern America, and spoken-word interludes, with the shifts in form and tone not distracting from the central themes. The sound palette is largely the same as their debut, but it feels somehow expanded and stronger: it references the confrontational lyrics of Rage Against The Machine, the unfiltered voice of Chuck D and Public Enemy, the storytelling of Johnny Cash, the evolution of IDLES, and punk giants like Black Flag, Rollins Band, and Dead Kennedys.
Although the album was written and recorded in early 2024, it feels forward-looking and reflects today’s general (inter)national mood. “What we wrote was politically and socially relevant. We felt good about it and moved forward in that confidence,” says the band. “It’s sad that devastating statements about fascism, white supremacy, and racism in the American political landscape are somehow more relevant just because of an election, but that’s how it is.” Overall, however, there is a cautious optimism: “Although we did not expect the political relevance to increase, we are not under any illusions about the American Dream or where we seem to be heading. But we have hope that we can get to a better place where people have what they need.” It is an album that speaks to and for exactly this time and place; one that perhaps could not exist at any other time. It is an album for now.
Dead Pioneers consists of guitarists Josh Rivera and Abe Brennan, drummer Shane Zweygardt, and bassist Lee Tesche (who is also the lead guitarist for Algiers), with Gregg Deal as the frontman. Gregg Deal is an artist and activist and a member of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe. A large part of his work includes extensive critiques of American colonialism, society, politics, popular culture, and history. Through his works - including paintings, murals, and performance art - Deal critically engages with themes such as decolonization, stereotypes, and cultural appropriation. He has exhibited his works in national and international cultural centers, including the Smithsonian Institution and the Venice Biennale. After living in Washington D.C. for 17 years, he moved with his family to Colorado, coinciding with his time as Native Arts Artist-In-Residence at the Denver Art Museum.
