Brooklyn-based band Pretty Rude will release their highly anticipated debut album, Ripe, on May 16 via SideOneDummy Records. The record, which was produced by the band and mixed by Jake Sinclair (Weezer’s White Album), with mastering by Zach Weeks at God City, will be available digitally and as a limited-edition vinyl and can be pre-ordered now. 

Today, the band is their newest single, “Call Me, Ishmael,” alongside an accompanying music video, directed by Luke LeCount and features labelmates Carpool. The track premiered at Magnet and is now streaming on all platforms.

“’Call Me, Ishmael’ was the first song I wrote for the record. Lyrically, it’s about that dread you feel when starting a new job. Every few weeks I think about quitting music, getting a full-time job, and finally making enough to cover rent—just to be able to breathe. But for musicians, you often rely on low-paying part-time work you can drop at a moment’s notice for tour. Having something stable is tempting, but it can also feel like a prison. This song is about weighing the cost of giving up music for ‘three hots and a cot.” – James Palko

I think we can all resonate somewhat to this single because we all dread starting a new job because we don’t know exactly what we are doing and we are the new “face” in the room which is nerve reckoning. Being a photographer in this industry makes me feel like I will never be stable within this industry. It’s such a passion of mine, but this song reminds me my 9-5 job is stable, but its mentally draining and then I leave that job to do photography that brings me happiness. I know musicians in this industry that work awful part time jobs to just be able to extra money for gas and food because music isn’t enough. It’s not easy and this single expresses that.

Debut Album Ripe Out May 16 on SideOneDummy Records

There’s much more to Ripe than meets the ear. Its eight tracks stretch over 37 minutes—just 19 seconds more, to be precise—and are packed with meaning, history, literary references, musical tributes, and a flair for the unconventional. The album balances reverence for both the past and present, and while its complex ideas could make it seem daunting, it’s far from pretentious. It’s music made freely, from the heart, by people who understand music’s power.

Ripe is an ambitious and smart record that reveals a chemistry between its members that’s rare for a new band. Pretty Rude was originally conceived as a diversion, a “theoretical project” after the end of Palko’s other bands. “A lot of the songs are about trying to figure out who I am after those projects ended.” It turns out, Palko wasn’t ready to be done with music. Writing alongside Cook reignited his passion, and the project soon grew into something more.

Ripe Tracklist:

1. The Caller
2. Things I Do 
3. Call Me, Ishmael 
4. Debbie and Lynn
5. The Work
6. Polish Deli 
7. The Unconfidence Man 
8. No Moment