News

Beneath You is the Bay Area’s latest pop-punk force, powered by brothers Gavin and Jason Hammon of ska-punk legends Dance Hall Crashers on drums and guitar, longtime punk mainstay Serge Verkhovsky (Limp, Year of the Fist) on bass, and powerhouse newcomer Mary Diridon on vocals. Blending melodic pop-punk with touches of emo, ska, and alt-rock, they bring a sound that feels both nostalgic and refreshingly current to the Bay Area’s indie scene.

The band’s debut full-length, General Hermitude - recorded, mixed, and mastered at District Recording - is due later this year on Sell The Heart Records (pre-order). But today, we’re premiering their brand-new single “Happily Never After.”

“‘Happily Never After’ is one of those songs that really hits close to home, calling out the subtle poison and misogyny hidden in childhood stories,” the band explains. From the opening verse, where Diridon sings about little girls being taught that “a charming prince will show, if she’s beautiful and wears a pretty dress,” to the bridge’s stark reminder that “a cruel beast can turn into a prince, if only she were enough,” the track tears into the toxic messages baked into so-called fairy tales.

Vocalist Mary Diridon expands:

“‘Happily Never After’ is especially meaningful to me because it takes aim at the insidious misogyny passed down to kids in ‘innocent’ fables and fairy tales. It’s a biting social commentary woven into a powerful but playful anthem that alternates between bouncy ska and hard-driving pop-punk.”

With sharp lyrics, catchy riffs, and an infectious mix of punchy punk and upbeat ska, Beneath You flip a middle finger to “fucked up fairy tales”  and deliver a debut single that’s as fun as it is fearless.