Rising Isle of Wight streetpunks Grade 2 have released a new video and announced a new album.
The eponymously-titled Grade 2 will be released on Hellcat Records on 17 February 2023, and it promises to be their best yet.
The record is a thumping 15-track tour-de-force melding the uncompromising ethos of punk with the howl of contemporary injustice, personal identity, and frustrations of Gen-Z youth, told by three lads with punk coursing through their veins.
The latest new song, Under The Streetlight, is a high-energy track with a spirited, hopeful melody and it comes with a feel-good music video that praises the power of community.
Explaining the song, Grade 2 said: “Even though there are times when life can feel stagnant or things aren’t going to plan, there will always be people there to support you whether it’s mates, a partner, or your family,”
It’s the third taste of their new material, after lead single Doing Time, which was released in September, and Brassic, which followed in October.
Grade 2 are childhood friends Sid Ryan (vocals, bass), Jacob Hull (drums) and Jack Chatfield (guitar, vocals), and they’re bringing the raw power of old-school punk to a new generation.
With two albums already under their belt, the trio signed to Hellcat Records – helmed by Rancid’s Tim Armstrong – in 2018, and put out their third album, Graveyard Island (reviewed here) the following year.
Last year saw them reimagine some of its songs on the EP Graveyard Island: Acoustic Sessions (reviewed here).
Grade 2 deal in blistering punk music laced with passion, angst, humour and despair. Frontman Sid Ryan explains: “Like everyone else, 2020 left us proper fucked off, yet we were able to channel every ounce of that despair into every second of this record.”
Grade 2 have earned a reputation for blistering live performances, and you can catch them on the following live UK dates:
March 7th, 2023 – The Lexington, London
March 10th, 2023 – Louisiana, Bristol
March 18th, 2023 – Classic Grand, Glasgow
March 19th, 2023 – Star & Garter, Manchester
Tickets are available on the band’s website HERE, while you can pre-order the album HERE.
