“It’s Just A Title” - Ben Quad releases new single and announces sophomore LP
In any conversation about post-emo’s new wave, it doesn’t take long before Oklahoma City’s own Ben Quad enters the mix. The quartet–singer/guitarist Sam Wegrzynski, lead guitarist Edward Viveros, bassist/vocalist Henry Shields, and drummer Isaac Young–have just announced their sophomore LP, Wisher, the follow-up to their breakout debut I’m Scared That’s All There Is, due out November 14, 2025 via Pure Noise Records (pre-order here).
The record’s lead single “It’s Just a Title” dropped September 2 and immediately lit up our feeds, earning praise from The Needle Drop, BrooklynVegan, AltPress, and State of the Scene. Critics have clearly staked their claim: Ben Quad aren’t just riding the wave, they’re shaping it.
Take the lyric: “Chalk all my failures to the absence of a martyr.” That’s pure post-emo— outsourcing collapse to some missing saint who could’ve suffered in your place. But then comes the undercut: “Hiding behind habit ’cause it’s easier to falter.” No divine scapegoat, no tragic destiny, just the bitter truth that falling back into bad patterns is easier than change. It’s that pendulum swing, between grandeur and grit, that makes Ben Quad’s writing sting. They know how we romanticize pain, but they also know when it’s just us getting in our own way.
Cover art by @morongod
Photographer Kam (on instagram at @kamquat), who photographed the band for this release says, “My main inspiration for this shoot was studio/city vibes. We wanted to get a little more serious but still creative with this set of promos. When I was searching for a space for the shoot I found a studio loft space that perfectly encapsulated what I was looking for and I think that in the end the space itself is really what turned out to be the biggest inspiration for the shoot.”.
And Wisher isn’t pulling punches. With guest features from Sweet Pill’s Zayna Youssef, Microwave’s Nathan Hardy, and Treaty Oak Revival’s Sam Canty, the record already looks like a serious Album of the Year contender. As the band told Pure Noise, the project is about “savoring life’s small victories–the moments that might not feel like much at the time but can snowball into something bigger if you only allow yourself to find the joy in them.”
If you’re in Atlanta on release day, catch them celebrating Wisher at The Masquerade alongside Koyo and Restraining Order. Odds are good it won’t just be a show–it’ll be a coronation.