Teenage Halloween’s Blistering Debut LP Is a Force for Queer Life

No release over the last six months has made me miss—or yearn for the return of—live music as much as Teenage Halloween’s blistering self-titled debut LP, out today via Don Giovanni. 

The album’s ten songs see the New Jersey punk band and self-described “GAY ANGRY POWER-POP” outfit finding liberation through catharsis: “When I walk outside / terror comes to mind / agoraphobic time / therapy come faster,” vocalist / guitarist Luke Henderiks growls on “Sweat,” tapping into our collective despair with frightening efficiency.

“These songs are about mental health and queer struggles,” Teenage Halloween write on bandcamp, adding that “This record is for anyone who feels out of place and wrong in the world they are forced to live in.” The final product is urgent and thrashing, an uncontainable force for queer life.

“Recording this record was a very easy and stress-free period,” Luke tells American Songwriter over email. “We took a lot of time for self-care writing these songs and working with Evan [Bernard, the album’s producer/engineer] was wonderful because of his everlasting patience. The record leaves me with associations to my former self because [of] coming out as queer and coming to terms with a lot of my past emotions. A lot of recurring themes on this record are anger towards the world itself and the current political state, breaking down yourself to be vulnerable, trying to be honest about your emotions, and trying to liberate yourself from social constraints.”

“We were staying at Evan’s house during parts of the recording process so it was a lot of fun to be able to drive over together, maybe grab some coffee or whatever,” says lead guitarist Eli Frank. “We’d grab the sickest sandwiches from the spot nearby for lunch, and then afterwards we’d hit a grocery store or something and grab snacks for the inevitable munchie-palooza. Some parts of recording I enjoyed the most were working on sax parts with [saxophonist Bandon] Hakim—I was basically acting as their conductor so you’d see me waving my arms around while Evan laughed from the control room. We’d have some friends pop by as well. I was also very into that bubble popping game on my phone. Evan was mad helpful and wouldn’t hold back if he thought something didn’t fit. It was really nice to have someone who cared and wanted to record to come out as good as it possibly could.”

“Most importantly,” adds keyboardist Jane Lai, “we all listen to good music, and a lot of music, and when we’re able to talk about that through our instruments, then the band works. Two of my favorite songs to play are ‘Clarity’ and ‘Sweat’ because they feel the most organic and democratic. They’re layered in lines that reflect each player’s voice, and the final product distinguishes our music from a binary.”

In addition to Luke, Eli, Brandon, and Jane, Teenage Halloween is rounded out by bassist / vocalist / keyboardist Tricia Marshall and drummer Peter Gagano. Luke, Eli, and Tricia were kind enough to walk us through every song on their debut LP—check out their responses and listen to the full album below.

“Stationary”
Luke Henderiks: “Stationary” is a song about existentialism and small moments that make us feel defined in our emotions. “Stationary” is a bit more of an anthemic angry song that is about being perceived. Also, it touches on feelings after ending friendships with bad people.

Eli Frank: Loved coming up with the leads for this song, especially the harmonized sax and guitar at the end of the track. 

“Holes”
Luke: “Holes” is a song about familiar spaces in the upbringing of a queer person in the suburbs. It’s about repression and it was the second-to-last song we wrote before going into the studio. It’s a Marked Men type beat with 80s power pop type vocal melodies.

Eli: For some reason I had the most trouble recording this song, mainly the bridge section. It has a strangely difficult section of hits that took me a while to get down.

“Drown”
Luke: “Drown” is a song written about wanting to be free and forward with your sexuality. It’s about trying to be liberated and positive about the person you are and breaking past suicidal ideations. Wrote the lyrics to this one after a really bad dream. Eli Frank, our guitarist, fully wrote the instrumental and composed the other parts!

Eli: “Drown” was written at one of our band practices. I had come up with the chords and general melody of the song and then everything else was added and layered on. Luke’s lyrics were the last bit to be added and of course they killed it.

Tricia Marshall: First of all, I’d like to say that all of my favorite songs on the album are ones where I get to sing. I think these harmonies in particular are fun because it’s just a third above what Luke is singing—it’s very “Beach Boys.” And the fact that this is a simple, four-chord progression makes it even more “Beach Boys.” (I’m a fan of the Beach Boys, please don’t sue me for comparing our band to theirs). While we’re at it, I’d like to shout-out Eli for writing a four-chorder that absolutely rips! I actually still lovingly refer to this as “Eli’s Song” because it didn’t have a name for the longest time. There’s something really special about simple chord progressions, because they lend themselves so well to layered parts. We have six instruments and two voices to work with, so we have to be very specific about how we arrange everything, and this one’s a great example of that. 

“SMH City”
Luke: This song is a narrative about being transgender in the US army based on articles I’ve read about discrimination against trans soldiers and how they aren’t allowed due to the world’s ignorance. I’m not a supporter of the US army, but it seems like a very specific type of struggle I can relate to. It’s about repression moreso and the idea of showing a different self to survive instead of the person you are inside.

Eli: Channeled some LVL UP guitar vibes for the beginning of the song. Love the way the feedback of my guitar sounds during certain parts. One of my favorites to play live as well, can’t wait to be doing that again.

“Sweat”
Luke: This is the love song on the record about believing in someone so much you don’t want them to live in a world as terrible as our current state. It’s a brutal and aware song about how we all struggle with normalcy.

Eli: All I gotta say is the end of this song always makes me wanna break shit.

“Clarity”
Luke: “Clarity” is a kind of whiny and preachy song I wrote when I was in a very dissatisfied mood with my social life. It’s about hypocrisy and an accountable song about things that have been instilled in me that I can change about myself.

Eli: We’ve been playing this tune for a while so I’m just happy it’s finally recorded.

Tricia: Evan actually helped me write this bassline! I came into the studio with something a little different, and he told me to try it out another way, and it worked perfectly with the song. What I really love about Evan is that he provides constructive criticism in a super encouraging, non-confrontational way, so the pressure I would normally feel in a relatively high-stakes scenario was nonexistent. He’s so down to earth and so friendly, but also a genius with an incredible ear, so I highly recommend that everyone record with him.

“Summer Money”
Luke: This song is a narrative about making income and surviving. It’s a song about how we are forced into capitalism until we die, and how we don’t even cope, we just exist.

Eli: Also been playing this one for a looooooong time.

Tricia: This was one of the first songs I learned when I joined the band, and I think that’s why it’s one of my favorites. I have to give credit to the previous bassist, Mem, for writing this bassline. He’s such a great musician (and a hard act to follow) so I’m grateful for his contributions that really allowed me to step into the role so easily.

“Racehorse”
Luke: This song is a journal entry type song about feeling like you need to fight past your intrusive thoughts and how having OCD makes you feel like you are incapable of holding intimate personal relationships. Also, it ties into political themes and how revolution doesn’t start in a day. 

Eli: We wrote this tune at my old house venue in New Paltz. Loved coming up with the solos for this song. Even pulled out the ol’ slide and thought it came out amazing. Props to Evan for the recording and mixing. 

Tricia: I think “Racehorse” is my favorite song on the album because I love everyone’s individual parts so much, especially Jane’s keyboard part. Anyone who plays keyboard knows that it easily gets overcrowded in the mix with the other instruments, so it’s really nice to hear it front and center in this one. And honestly, that’s another reason that this song resonates with me: the fact that this one starts pretty solemnly and slowly builds throughout is indicative of the subject matter. Full disclosure, I have privilege that has allowed me to avoid experiencing police brutality due to racial injustice, but I think the fact that it starts with minimal instruments and slowly grows to include the full band, all while growing with dynamic intensity, really encapsulates the idea that support for people of color is something that builds throughout a society. We’re still far away from equality, and it’s not like a punk song will change anything, but it makes me feel more connected to our community to share these thoughts, feelings, and grievances.

“Figwit”
Luke: Named after Lord of the Rings, it is a song that I chose a humorous title for to sound condescending. This track just about depression but also finding euphoria in your gender identity. It’s about pride.

Eli: This was another LVL UP vibe guitar song. This was one of the last songs I came up with guitar parts for and I mainly just improvised in the studio.

Tricia: This one fucks. I love every single thing about “Figwit,” and I’m actually a little bummed that we didn’t choose this one as a single (not to discount “Stationary,” “Sweat,” or “Holes,” which all fucking rip). One of the things I love most about Luke’s lyrical style is how personal it is, and “Figwit” really captures that. You know, ideas like doing all you can to feel better despite others’ cruelty, or wanting to create a more accepting world because of your own negative experiences. These are things that everyone can relate to, and I feel really proud to be performing music with such positive messages.

“Turn Right, Goes Straight”
Luke: This song is about aspirations once you graduate high school and is a pretty straightforward song about how I felt when I dropped out of college.

Eli: I hadn’t even heard this song before it was played for me in the studio. Felt like it needed some slide as well. Managed to come up with a decent melody during the break. Fave part of the album is the last bit of this song, just went ham.

Tricia: Full disclosure, I originally wrote a legitimate walking bassline for this song but simplified it with Eli’s help. I definitely understand why that needed to be done, but how hilarious and fun would it be to have a somewhat jazzy undertone in a punk song? It probably wouldn’t have worked out very well, and I LOVE the current iteration of this song, but my little bassist heart loved that first line.

Teenage Halloween is out now via Don Giovanni Records. You can order it here.