Bumpin Uglies bite back at the world with their defiant new acoustic single Underdog — premiering exclusively on Tinnitist.
The title track from the rising reggae-rock outfit’s upcoming album Underdog: The Acoustic Sessions, the visceral and vital track finds singer-guitarist Brandon Hardesty sharing a potent, personally revealing anthem of individuality, integrity and resilience. Armed with just his trusty six-string and a world of experience, Hardesty unflinchingly looks in the mirror and takes stock of his life and career, unpacking plenty of emotional and personal baggage (“I will never be the chosen one / I will never be the pretty one”) before ultimately choosing to stay the course and stand his ground: “I won’t live forever and I’m never going to change.” As his voice confidently rises, you can practically hear the crowd singing along and see the lit cellphones waving in the air.
“This is an anthem for authenticity,” confirms Hardesty. “It’s for all the artists that choose to embrace their passion as a form of art, rather than a transactional medium. A celebration of the imperfections that make us beautiful.”
While the new project — out Sept. 8 — boasts searing stripped-raw takes of classics from fan favoirite releases Buzz (Locust Avenue, Self-Loathing, This Is Ours), Keep It Together (Load In / Load Out, Keep Moving) Beast From The East (City By The Bay), Keep Your Suitcase Packed (Shades of Gray, Suburbia), and 2022’s Mid-Atlantic Dub (Wild Girls), seven new songs join the fray to supercharge the day.
From the emotional umbrage of Underdog to the lilting blue-collar confessional The Work, the bouncy ebullient self-awareness of Spinning Plates, and the tension-filled, fed-up verve of Loneliness in Ab, to the pandemic-fueled melancholy of Livestreams & Vaccines and album closer Jerry’s Song, a heartbreakingly moving tribute Brandon wrote in remembrance of his father who passed away in 2021, the new tunes find Hardesty digging even further into his core, rescuing himself from another crossroads while providing guidance for those still in the throes.
The upcoming full-length expands upon the band’s two Live at Sugarshack Sessions acoustic EPs, the latest of which featured a sparse passionate rendition of Jason Isbell’s Cover Me Up, which the former Drive-By Trucker championed with the social media comment “Lovely job!”
A lovely ride it’s been. For more than a decade, the Maryland-based band, whose members include Dave “Wolfie” Wolf (bass, vocals), T.J. Haslett (drums), Ethan Lichtenberger (keys) and Will Lopez (tenor saxophone), have been blending rock, hip hop, dub, reggae and punk into a refreshing blast of spacetime funk. The revered road warriors have toured constantly, starting with local open mics and backyard parties to ever-expanding audiences, festival slots and sold-out shows coast to coast.
This fall, they’ll join reggae-rock icons The Expendables as support on select dates, from Sept. 13 – Nov. 12, while also making appearances at a number of festivals including Montana Hempfest (Sept. 8) and Reggae Rise Up Vegas (Oct. 8). Whether live at the Sugarshack, on beachfronts, in ballrooms or fancy microbrews, anchoring main stages or their very own Weekend at Wolfies in rural Pennsylvania, the thinking man’s party band continues to bump, and grind, from ocean city to sector nine.
Check out Underdog (Acoustic) above, presave the album HERE, sample more from Bumpin Uglies and check out their tour dates below, and bump into them on their website, Instagram and Twitter.
