One of the staples of the early 2000s was pop punk — Blink-182, Green Day, Sum 41. The lyrics about love, adolescence and rebellion paired with heavy power chords made for the soundtrack of ‘80s kids’ high school years. Since then, the genre has taken a step back from the rise of hip-hop and pop tunes of the 2010s, but it’s not all gone. 

August 2023 saw the release of a debut album, an album that combines the heart of ‘00s pop punk with references to modern 2020s culture, an album called Pick Me Girls by Swerved by Blondes. Swerved by Blondes is a five-piece rock band from Utah inspired by those very 2000s pop punk staple bands. 

One of the album’s standouts and my personal favorite, “3 Min Mac”, was actually written in 20 minutes in the band’s first rehearsal. The upbeat song is about a deceitful ex trying to reenter the singer’s life after the band started garnering attention. Another standout, the band’s personal favorite of the album, is “Lollygagging”, a groovy, rap-heavy tune filled with the classic “la la la”s of pop punk.  

The group mentioned their favorite song they’ve ever written is their newest, “Dead Inside With a Side of Fries.” The single releases January 27. 

With less than 500 monthly listeners on Spotify, Swerved by Blondes is the band to get into before they’re big. Pick Me Girls is available to listen to on Spotify and Apple Music and “Dead Inside With a Side of Fries” can be pre-saved via Distrokid. Get your “here before it blows up” ticket now and follow them on Instagram, @swervedbyblondes.