Some bands hit you straight away on the first listen. That was exactly the case with Suedehead for me. At a time when I was mainly listening to Oi!, streetpunk and hardcore, this Californian band came along with something completely different – melodies, soul vibes, a British atmosphere and songs that weren’t built around trying to musically kick someone in the head.
Their first EP immediately grabbed my attention, and „Small Town Hero“ was an absolute anthem for me. The video, with its strong English feel, perfectly matched the band’s style and helped create their own unique world. Suedehead opened the door to another side of punk for me – music where the energy and attitude are still there, but everything doesn’t have to be about anger and aggression.
At that time, I had slightly different priorities than digging deep into the details of every band. More time was spent dealing with street-level matters in my own neighbourhood than researching band members and their backgrounds. So it’s only now that I’ve discovered what an interesting story actually stands behind Suedehead.
The band originally started as a soul-oriented project by singer, songwriter and producer Davey Boy Warsop (Sharpshock, Beat Union). When Mike Ness of Social Distortion heard their demos and invited the band to join them on tour, it became clear that this small project was about to become something much bigger.
Warsop then assembled a line-up of musicians from different corners of the Californian scene – from ska/reggae veterans of Hepcat and The Aggrolites to the legendary deathrock pioneers T.S.O.L.. The result was a unique blend of Northern Soul, punk, mod revival and rock’n’roll.
After a series of 7″ releases, a performance at Coachella and the Constant Frantic Motion discography collection released in 2018, it seemed like the Suedehead story had come to an end. Luckily, that wasn’t the case.
In 2026, the band returns with a new release, Let the Song Sell Itself, featuring two brand-new tracks – the title song „Let the Song Sell Itself“ and „Life at the Top“. The release also includes live versions of „I Believe in Love“ and „Can’t Stop“ recorded during their show supporting legendary The B-52s. Pre-orders are already available through Pirates Press Records in the US and Coretex Records in Europe.
Suedehead are back and once again proving that a great song doesn’t need any boundaries or labels. Sometimes all you need is a melody, energy and a chorus you want to sing over and over again.
Now we’ll have to see what comes next – because maybe this isn’t the final chapter after all.
Let the song sell itself.
