Oklahoma emo band Ben Quad prep debut LP ‘I’m Scared That’s All There Is’ (stream a track)

Oklahoma emo band Ben Quad have a handful of splits dating back to 2018, and they've been rolling out singles since September 2021 for their upcoming debut album. That album is called I'm Scared That's All There Is and due June 29 via Chillwavve, and it features recent singles "We're Gonna Be Here for a While," "You Gotta Learn to Listen, Lou," and "Blood for the Blood God," as well as new single "Joan of Hill." As heard on those recent singles, the band takes cues from the knotty riffage of '90s emo, the spit-shined hooks of early 2000s pop punk, and the quirkier vibes and fresh perspective of fourth and fifth wave emo. All of that comes through on "Joan of Hill," but this song -- which closes the album and features guest vocals by Taylor Haynes of fellow Oklahoma bands King Pink and Cheap Kites -- also ends in a post-rocky, anthemic coda with a chorus of voices repeating the title of the album, showing off a more immersive side of the band.

"'Joan of Hill' centers around the fear that life is a perpetual struggle (debt, monotony, tragedy, etc.) until you die," the band tells us. "Part of navigating your early/mid 20s is learning to cope with this reality and carrying on with life. We wanted to evoke that sense of desperation in this song. The outro in a way is meant to be comforting. Uncertainty is the common ground we all have."

Listen below...