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Aug 02, 2023 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Okie Dokie Studio

New Jersey punks Teenage Halloween began making waves in the DIY scene in 2020 with their excellent self-titled record, debuting with a grand, sincere, and hook-laden style of power pop and punk. Since then, the band have been making up for lost time, touring incessantly and releasing a split EP last year with The Homeless Gospel Choir. Along the way, the band also cemented their line-up, fronted by guitarist, singer, and songwriter Luk Henderiks with Eli Frank on guitar, Tricia Marshall on bass and vocals, Peter Gargano on drums.

Today, the band are back with news of their sophomore album, Till You Return. Along with the announcement, the band have also shared a listen to their double A-side lead single, “Supertrans / Takeaway,” premiering with Under the Radar.

Themes of queer identity and surviving in a hostile world run throughout much of the band’s music, but “Supertrans / Takeaway” doubles down on both fronts, delivering one of the band’s most urgent efforts yet. Henderiks (who is non-binary) comes barreling through from the track’s first moments, joined initially only by a singular distorted guitar. From there, the track quickly builds into a fervent, soaring high, leaning heavily into the band’s anthemic side. At the melodic apex, Henderiks closes the single’s first half with a vulnerable entreaty: “Take my identity seriously / Empathy comes from within / And when the anchor drops, let go.”

The band drops out momentarily before returning in an adrenaline-fueled rush, carried by careening drums, hooky guitar work, and shout-along gang vocals. The single’s latter half is pure power pop at its most potent and affirming. Meanwhile, Henderiks’ lyrics pivot into some deeply confessional portraits of the daily struggle for survival: “Wishing I was motivated to work on my life / I wake up with chronic pain, I pray for the afterlife… It’s survival / It’s absurd / Give it a hand / It’s all led to nothing.”

Henderiks says of the track and accompanying video, “‘Till You Return’ has been 3 long years in the making and we’re so excited to finally share this first look at what’s to come. We’ve always loved the video work of our buddy Jordan from CALICUZNS and were so pleased that he hopped on board to direct the “Supertrans/Takeaway”. With this one, we wanted to bring to life an absurdist horror B-movie-style visual that pits me against some of my greatest fears and anxieties with a triumphant battle against them to be more happy and move forward. Ultimately, it’s a reminder that no matter the obstacle, you’ve just got to believe in yourself and keep on running towards your goals.”

Check out the song and video below. Til You Return is due out on October 20th via Don Giovanni.