Dead Pioneers Wagon Burner – 7th Level Music

Dead Pioneers call out “The Worst Among Us” with their new single.

Dead Pioneers, the Indigenous fronted band from Denver, are fast approaching the highly anticipated release of their third album, Wagon Burner, due to be issued June 26th via Hassle Records, and return this week with a new single featuring Sleaford Mods provocateur Jason Williamson on guest vocals. Titled “The Worst Among Us,” the single is a key track on Wagon Burner and demonstrates the bands progression, stretching their sound far beyond the confines of punk rock, with a pulsating post-punk groove under-pinning the songs dark, shimmering melodies.

“While it’s easy for me to say I’m proud of every song on ‘Wagon Burner’, I’d be remiss by not admitting this one is one of my favorites,” admits frontman Gregg Deal. “The way it came together with (bassist) Lee at the helm of this one. This song feels like a level up for us, a piece that brings together elements that are 100% Dead Pioneers with some other elements that are new. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again, but we really are about the art of this work. ‘The Worst Among Us’ is in this camp, recognizing that we sometimes will find lightening in a bottle more than once while on the Dead Pioneers path.”

The combination of Gregg and Jason’s vocals work perfectly, delivered with complete conviction with the intensity of the lyrics. Sleaford Mods have been an undeniable influence on Dead Pioneers since they first began.

“I wish I could express how excited I am to have Jason on this track with us. Lee introduced me to Sleaford Mods in 2021 when we met and pulled together ‘Bad Indian’. In the space of the original idea of Dead Pioneers being “spoken word with punk riffs”, Lee pointed me to Sleaford Mods and their then new album ‘Spare Rib’. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I’ve been proper obsessed with Sleaford Mods since. This feels like another full circle moment for ‘Wagon Burner’, and I am sincerely humbled to share space with the likes of Jason Williamson.

“Colonialism, imperialism, theft, murdering, oppressing and death? All the things a song needs, capped off by the unmistakable cadence and voice of Jason Williamson. This song was an important one lyrically, in presenting some personal experiences while acknowledging the more general grievances of colonialism and imperialism. This moment in the world’s history is more poignant than most for a song like this. Saying the things that need to be said on a political, social and cultural level is wildly important right now,” summarizes Gregg.

“Nabbing lands, traditions or symbols with cunning chicanery or beady eyed brute force” How could I not be on a tune with lyrics like these. ‘The Worst Among Us’ is the kind of song that revitalizes the idea of Punk within the listener. Wrapped up in some weird Cure/Sisters Of Mercy vibe to boot. Very honored to be included,” adds Jason Williamson.

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[Thanks to Dan from Discipline PR.]

Dead Pioneers team up with The Interrupters to tell us we’re “Never Alone.”

Dead Pioneers, the Indigenous fronted band from Denver, are back with another transmission from their forthcoming album Wagon Burner, due for release June 26th via Hassle Records.

Titled “Never Alone,” the new single features a vocal collaboration with Aimee Interrupter, vocalist for Californian ska-punk sensations, The Interrupters.“I wish I could express how proud we are about this collaboration, as well as how grateful we are to The Interrupters in their willingness to work with us on this one,” declares frontman Gregg Deal. “In all honesty, this has been in the works in conversation and execution for several years and can’t wait to share the very personal backstory on this.“The very real and palatable feeling of not belonging and finding solace through music, community and found family is something so many of us can understand on multiple levels. I’m a fan of The Interrupters, but also know through their music and first-hand how genuine they are in their mutual feeling and understanding of what this music does. ‘Never Alone’ is a homage to that familiar feeling of finding purpose in one’s self. Finding it through accessible means like music, community and the shared experiences associated with it. To share this with The Interrupters, Aimee, Kevin, Justin and Jesse is a dream. These are four fantastic people that don’t just understand these ideas, but stand by it in their love and compassion for the very human feelings of needing to find your place in the world. We’re super proud to share space with them as family.”

“Never Alone” is a life-affirming, rousing, air punching celebration of community and friendship, with Aimee’s vocals adding a deliciously addictive melodic hook to the song’s stomping groove.

“To hear Aimee’s voice in the chorus is overwhelming, to be sure,” says Gregg. “Besides the fact that she has a powerhouse of a voice, I hear the sound of a six-year friendship with Aimee and the Bivona boys with my own family, that predates Dead Pioneers. I am so grateful to this friendship, especially watching Aimee and my oldest kid Sage become close. When we say ‘Never Alone’, we mean it, knowing that the band, The Interrupters, are friends, hell, family, that truly believe these things along with us. I’m beyond grateful to share this with them, if not outwardly overwhelmed and emotional by it. What an incredible full circle moment.”

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[Thanks to Dan from Discipline PR.]

Dead Pioneers declare “No Kings” with their newest single.

Following their packed-out first EU and UK headline tour last month, Dead Pioneers, the Indigenous fronted band from Denver, are now preparing to unleash their third album, Wagon Burner, set for release June 26th via Hassle Records. Succeeding the album’s first statement with initial single “Nazi Teeth,” a powerful attack on the upsurge of the far right and white supremacists, Dead Pioneers are back with a second single, “No Kings,” that delivers an equally powerful punch to right wing politics.

“Last summer there were protests all over the United States called ‘No Kings’, in opposition of the current administration, the policies they’ve been implementing, and the rights they’ve been taking away from citizens,” explains frontman Gregg Deal. “While the issues are obvious, it’s important that we all say it out loud. It’s important that we show up and make our opinions known, that we won’t allow our inherent rights to be trampled upon for the benefit of the Epstein Class. Not unlike ‘Nazi Teeth’, ‘No Kings’ is meant to bring the points home,” he continues. “ICE, rights being taken away, mass shootings, greed over life, demonizing immigrants, black, brown and queer people, widened economic gaps by the Epstein class, and the sincere frustration Americans feel over this. While this is happening, we realize that the right-wing politics coming out of the United States is emboldening conservative right-wing politics all over the world. We are against dictators, authoritarian regimes, Nazis, fascism or any other power structure, political, social or otherwise that seek to take away the rights, freedoms or lives of human beings trying to live their life. To that, we keep it simple: NO KINGS.”

Dead Pioneers is rooted in a 2020 piece called The Punk Pan-Indian Romantic Comedy, a deeply personal work that dealt with Deal’s upbringing. Following an embryonic performance of the piece, Deal secured a grant to expand it to include music created especially for the work. “The idea was to mix spoken word with punk music,” explains Deal, who hooked up with drummer Shane Zweygardt and guitarist Joshua Rivers during lockdown and began kicking the concept around.

A miraculous, natural chemistry made this supposed one-off project an actual band almost as soon as they cut what became their 2023 eponymous debut album (“We approached it like I approach my visual art: execute quickly, first thought is best thought,” Deal says), but they didn’t necessarily take it seriously until, unexpectedly, the outside world did. “I was like, we’ve made this record – what should I do with it? Put it online?” Deal remembers. The response was vigorously positive and soon came demands to commit this noise to vinyl. A first thousand-copy pressing sold out in minutes. “So, then we pressed another thousand,” he adds, still marvelling at it all. “And then they were gone, too.”

What followed was “a series of strange accidents” that led to the group signing to Hassle, befriending Jello Biafra and touring with kindred spirits like Pennywise, Propaghandi, even Pearl Jam. “Punk-rock had made everything seem so accessible when I was a kid,” says Deal. “Like, simply having the balls to get up on stage and stage dive and then be carried off by people that become your best friends once they get your feet back on the ground.” Now, punk-rock was reaching out its hands to Dead Pioneers and pulling them onto larger and larger stages. The group returned that favour by simply getting better and better: their second album, 2025’s PO$T AMERICAN, was sharper, angrier, funnier than the debut, a riot riveted with punch-a-Nazi thrills.

And now, Wagon Burner, their fearsome third album. Described by Deal as “more collaborative”, it’s a heavier, harder but also more accessible set, vicious hooks scattered among the punk-rock melee and guest appearances by kindred spirits Cheap Perfume (on the righteous “Nazi Teeth”), The Interrupters (on the shout-a-long anthem “Never Alone”) and, bringing it back to the group’s beginnings, Sleaford Mods (on the searing slow-burn of “The Worst Among Us”). The world might be darkening by the day, but Dead Pioneers are rising to that miserable occasion, casting their empowering light into the gloom.

Follow Dead Pioneers here. Pre-order ‘Wagon Burner’ coming out June 26 via Hassle Records here.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Dan from Discipline PR.]