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Jul 25, 2022 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Okie Dokie Studio

New Jersey indie punk outfit Well Wisher have been relatively quiet since the release of their 2018 debut, This Is Fine, aside from a trio of double single releases in 2020. Those one-off singles proved to be signs of exciting things to come, as the band returned earlier this year with a new single, “Need You Around,” and news that they’d signed to indie label Egghunt Records. Now the band are back with the announcement of their sophomore album, That Weight, arriving September 16th.

The band’s latest record was the result of a long lockdown recording process with producer and close friend Erik Kase Romero, one which saw the band exploring the unexamined corners of their sound, uncovering new blends of punk, grunge, emo, and pop in the process. Songwriter Natalie Newbold and bandmates Lucas Dalakian (guitar), Lynsey Vandenberg (bass, vocals), and Matt Viani (drums) all return on an album that combines rousing guitar-laden punk with a sincere undercurrent drawn from Newbold’s love for acoustic indie singer/songwriters like Elliot Smith.

Along with the record’s announcement, the band have also offered a tease of what’s in store with their new single, “Panic,” premiering with Under the Radar.

On “Panic,” Well Wisher pulls off a deft balancing act between their stark and emotive side and their talent for massive punk hooks. The track begins with understated indie rock guitar and confessional lyrics, steadily building into a ripping roller coaster of a chorus before ending on a pummelling climactic breakdown. Meanwhile, the track’s lyrics conjure a similar balance between pain and catharsis, exploring the feeling of being trapped by your mental health.

Newbold says of the track, “One of the first songs on the new LP that we all loved and sort of used as a guiding light for the rest of the album was ‘Panic’. There was a special connection to it that melded all of our influences flawlessly, and we have a blast playing it together. The song explores the roller-coastering struggles with mental health and feeling beyond drained and angry with how it can hold you back and captive. Being someone who has struggled with anxiety and depression since I was about 3 or 4 years old made writing this one super cathartic.

Check out the song and video below. That Weight is out everywhere on September 16th via Egghunt Records.