Dexter And The Moonrocks Release Debut Album ‘Friends That I Don’t Like’
Continuing their trajectory through a momentous year, US “Western Space Grunge” outfit Dexter and The Moonrocks release their debut studio album Friends That I Don’t Like via Severance Records/Big Loud Rock.
Friends That I Don’t Like packs a sonic punch that confidently announces Dexter and The Moonrocks as a rock group with tremendous staying power. The album embraces a bold, rock-forward sound, built around raw energy, guitar-driven melodies, driving rhythms and a clear sense of momentum. Balancing the grit and attitude of rock-grunge with the band’s distinctive sound, the collection showcases the band at their most dynamic and electrifying. Emerging from anger but finding defiance, Friends That I Don’t Like sees a band regaining control through music that is a confident declaration of their artistry..
“We’ve been waiting a long time to do an album. We always knew the moment had to be perfect for us to do it, and the timing couldn’t be better,” says guitarist Ryan Anderson. “The making of it was the most fun the four of us ever had, and I think you can hear it in the songs. This collection of tunes is the most ‘ourselves’ we have ever been, and we couldn’t be more proud of it. It’s pure, unadulterated Dexter.”
Following their late-night TV debut tomorrow night on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, where they performed their viral smash hit Freakin’ Out – which just received an official RIAA Platinum Certification and earlier this year peaked at #43 on the ARIA charts – Friends That I Don’t Like embraces a bold, rock-forward sound, built around raw energy, guitar-driven melodies, driving rhythms, and an undeniable sense of momentum.
“For a long time, people have been struggling to place us as a band,” says drummer Fox. “Coming up in the Texas music scene came with its own expectations and stigma. We always seemed to piss off the honky tonkers and underwhelm the old school metal heads, and to be quite frank, we never cared. This album feels like a culmination of us tuning out all the bullsh*t and just being the 4 blue-collar rockers from small-town Texas that we always were.”
Alongside Freakin’ Out, the album features the band’s dusty, cosmic collaboration with Treaty Oak Revival, 12 Steps, their most recent single, It’s A Lot – a song filled with striking guitar riffs that explores the frustration of keeping things bottled up and feeling emotionally worn down – and the highly anticipated collaboration with country star Avery Anna, Why Don’t You Say So, which is available today alongside the release of its official music video.
Friends That I Don’t Like sets the stage for their first ever Australian shows this October. The band will perform as part of Strummingbird Festival in Ballarat, Newcastle and Sunshine Coast, as well as dates in Melbourne and Sydney supporting Bailey Zimmerman.
DEXTER AND THE MOONROCKS DEBUT AUSTRALIAN SHOWS
Saturday 10 October – Strummingbird Festival Ballarat, VIC
Wednesday 14 October – Festival Hall, Melbourne (supporting Bailey Zimmerman)
Friday 16 October – Hordern Pavillion, Sydney (supporting Bailey Zimmerman)
Saturday 17 October – Strummingbird Festival Newcastle, NSW
Sunday 18 October – Strummingbird Festival Sunshine Coast, QLD
