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Jul 19, 2022 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Leah Rom

Next month, Danny Noguerias, original drummer for LA pop punkers FIDLAR, is back again with a new album under his own alt rock moniker, NO WIN. The band’s new LP, Dodger Stadium, follows Enhanced CD, their EP released earlier this year, and sees Noguerias taking an expansive approach to genre and combining it with a restless aesthetic sensibility. The resulting record builds on the hooky side of his punk roots, while embracing hip hop rhythms, polished production, and whirring electronic touches. The album is also co-written by Jeff Enzor (Joyce Manor, Merry Christmas) and David Jerkovich (Deep Dreem, Ill Lit, Kind Of Like Spitting), with Jerkovich also co-producing the record with Noguerias.

Dodger Stadium is out August 19th, but ahead of its release NO WIN has shared another new single, “Hit The Line,” premiering with Under the Radar.

“Hit The Line” keeps with the bright melodies, sunny vibes, and soul-searching lyrics of the record’s lead single, “Surfing,” but this time around Noguerias adds his own upbeat dance feel to the track, injecting it with an irrepressible energy. Shimmering piano chords, pulsing synth bass, and lively acoustic guitar rhythms bolster a massive melody, all while the production lends the song a glossy optimistic sheen. Those bright and breezy overtones reimagine the track with the perfect amount of buoyant hope to balance out the lyrics’ underlying melancholy.

As Noguerias explains, “‘Hit The Line’ was written by me and two friends (Jeff Enzor, David Jerkovich). We all brought our own meanings and interpretations to the table but I think the song is ultimately about being that unreliable person hurting someone you love. We tried to juxtapose that feeling against a fun dance-y track that felt like a party.”

Check out the song and lyric video below. Dodger Stadium is out August 19th via Dangerbird Records.

What is the inspiration behind “Hit The Line”, What do you want your fans to take away from this single? What does it mean to you personally?

To be completely honest, I’m not really sure anymore. The song was written with David Jerkovich, Jeff Enzor, and myself sitting in the control room of my studio piecing lyrics together about different things. It opens with lyrics about someone I used to see at the bar all the time, a real regular. She was always in the same seat at the same bar and had an intense mix of sadness and being completely at ease that I haven’t seen a lot. I guess the song is exploring that aloneness and in the first half it’s about her but it goes on to explore it within ourselves and feeling like there’s always a place you can go to quell the unease in your mind, whether or not it’s the best idea to be there.

Can you share a bit about your songwriting process? And what do you think makes a good song?

On this album the songwriting process changed a lot. I used to try and finish everything up on my own to a point then bring it to David to help improve it and flesh out parts. On Dodger Stadium, Jeff, David, and I would write a lot more together, sometimes going line for line in a song. We discussed what feelings we wanted to explore and how best to evoke them to try and get somewhere better together than we could on our own. It was super fun and educational. I’m not sure there’s one thing that makes a good song but honesty, transparency, and an economy of words seems to help make something that speaks to me.

How has LA influenced the music you make?

Too many ways to count. I’ve spent my whole life here so it’s hard to see the forest for the trees at this point. I love this city and all the creative people who occupy it. There’s plenty of frustration and problems with the place but overall I just love the amount of friends I have getting after their art and creativity. I know a lot of great people who use their entire life as a way to express themselves and help other artists to express themselves. It’s a beautiful thing.

How have you been spending your pandemic time? Will there be a tour for this new LP?

I spent most of the pandemic either making this record or working on records for other artists. I got to make some really great stuff producing the newest Together Pangea record. The biggest silver lining to the pandemic (if there can be such a thing) is I got to spend a lot of time with my son. He’s four now and it’s definitely not lost on me how few parents get to spend so much time with their kid in those early years. With work being shut down and not a lot going on I got to spend a lot of time with people who matter most and take a long break from social media, parties, and all the other stuff that can cloud what life is really about