THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Queerpunk band The Dead Betties return with a striking new EP Impossible Future, recorded and produced by the band in their Brooklyn studio.
Of the title track, frontman Joshua Ackley says, “Impossible Future explores the liberating power of embracing the unknown — where shedding your former self and stepping far beyond your comfort zone makes the future feel not just uncertain but almost impossible. In this impossible space, where creation and reality collide, personal freedom can be found. We aimed for the track’s sound to reflect that experience — bright, intense, and relentless.”
Founded in 2000, The Dead Betties are New York band featuring singer–bassist Ackley, drummer Derek Pippin and guitarist Eric Shepherd. With releases on multiple labels, and videos in rotation on multiple networks, the band are best known for their intense songwriting, melodic impact, and explosive performances.
They were featured in David Ciminelli’s book The Loud And Raucous Rise Of Queer Rock and have headlined Olympia’s notorious Homo-a-gogo festival twice. The Dead Betties were commissioned by the Sam Cooke estate to cover Cupid and by Queen’s estate to remix Don’t Stop Me Now for a compilation. Frontman Ackley also served as assistant engineer for Kathleen Hanna’s archival tapes for inclusion at NYU’s Bobst Library.
Despite facing significant backlash from conservative journalists during his tenure as vice-president of communications at Girl Scouts of the USA, Ackley has continued to release music, demonstrating resilience and dedication to his craft. The controversy, which included attacks from outlets such as Breitbart, Bill O’Reilly, The Daily Mail and Rush Limbaugh, never deterred him from his passion for music and advocacy.
The Dead Betties’ Impossible Future is a manifesto for embracing change, challenging norms, and envisioning a future where human and machine intelligence coexist harmoniously, if not a bit chaotically.”
