News

Wiretap Records signed Sadlands, the Brooklyn-based indie-punk outfit formed by members of Answering Machine, Choke Up, and Ellen and the Degenerates. The band will release their debut full-length album Try To Have A Little Fun later this fall. Check out the record’s first single, “Twin Flame,” below.

With shimmering feedback, dueling vocals, pleading lyrics, and searing guitar leads, Sadlands is fronted by songwriters and guitarists Sam Campanile and Jess Lane, backed by Louis Rabeno on bass and Harley Cox on drums. Their sound bridges heartfelt lyricism with explosive energy—songs that burn with both vulnerability and catharsis.

The band spent the summer of 2024 recording 12 songs with Matt Schimelfenig (Gladie) at The Bunk in the Pennsylvania Poconos. The album was mastered by Ian Farmer (Modern Baseball)—with the assistance of his cat, Onion—at The Metal Shop in Philadelphia, PA.

The first single, “Twin Flame,” finds Campanile grappling with the pull of self-doubt and the search for meaning.

“This song is about the struggles of self-doubt, uncertainty, and a search for meaning,” shares Campanile. “I felt inspired after watching a documentary about a cult that uses the promise of ‘finding your twin flame’ to draw followers in. The lyrics tell a fictional story about a person turning to spirituality as an attempt to find a sense of belonging. This person meets their alleged ‘soulmate’ yet has a moment of realization, and consequently pushes them away as an act of self-preservation. It’s intended to be a cautionary tale, explaining how easy it is to fall prey to others when there’s a strong desire for love and a sense of purpose.”