Teenage Wrist

A Los Angeles alt-rock band with a fondness for shoegaze, power pop, and early-'90s emo, Teenage Wrist play with both power and nuance. After signing with Epitaph, they released their hard-driving debut, Chrome Neon Jesus, in 2018. They made a significant shift in their lineup ahead of 2021's transitional Earth Is a Black Hole, which explored a dichotomy of anxiety and hope. Teenage Wrist then found their footing on 2023's confidently diverse Still Love, which featured guest spots from members of 311 and Softcult. Teenage Wrist came together in 2015 as a side project between Kamtin Karimi Mohager (the Chain Gang of 1974) and Marshall Gallagher (Swing Hero). Taking inspiration from bands like the Cure and Smashing Pumpkins, Mohager, Gallagher, and drummer Anthony Salazar released their debut EP, Dazed, in May 2015. "Stoned, Alone" arrived in 2016 as the members split time between Teenage Wrist and their own projects. In November 2017, the band announced their signing with Epitaph Records and delivered their first song for the label, "Swallow." The full-length debut, Chrome Neon Jesus, followed in March of 2018. Produced by Carlos de la Garza (Paramore, Jimmy Eat World), it was a dark-toned blast of heavy grunge and textural shoegaze that further emphasized Teenage Wrist's '90s rock influences. After Mohager's departure in 2019, Teenage Wrist slimmed down to a duo, with Gallagher taking on the role of singer/frontman for 2021's Earth Is a Black Hole. A transitional album, it moved between the melancholic haze of their debut and something more buoyant and hopeful. For their third outing, Gallagher and Salazar retreated to the Californian desert to write and record in solitude. Setting up in the living room of a rented house in Joshua Tree, the duo self-produced 2023's Still Love, a rangy collection that saw them explore more pop influences and sonic textures beyond their usual oeuvre. It also included a handful of outside collaborators, including 311 singer S.A. Martinez and Canadian grunge siblings Softcult. ~ Timothy Monger