Stand by your friends that are hurting. That’s what New Jersey power punks Teenage Halloween do through soaring arrangements of melodic angst, wracked vocals that insist “I love you so much I would die for you”, and passion-packed two-minute dispatches tackling topics from gender euphoria, to state abuses, and an eternal quest for mental wellbeing. The results are potent punk dioramas that document young queer life at the edge of America.

At the heart of vocalist and guitarist Luk Henderiks’ lyrics is an urgent longing for community. Despite their often strikingly personal vulnerability, these songs reach out to the wider world, striving to hold themselves and those around them accountable for their actions and to make space for those that need to be heard.

As they make their final preparations before heading into the studio to record the followup to their debut LP, this band which operated as a ‘rotating cast’ in it’s early years, is now firmly entrenched as an essential four-piece comprised of Henderiks alongside Eli Frank (guitar, vocals), Tricia Marshall (bass, vocals) and Peter Gargano (drums).