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Pkew Pkew Pkew is looking on the bright side.

As a band that lives and dies by touring, it’s been a while since they could say fuck it, we’re taking a year off to make something. That decision wasn’t entirely theirs, but 2020 handed them an opportunity. Open Bar doesn’t navigate any of the tired pandemic tropes. Instead, Pkew is celebrating the things that make their lives awesome, even if those things suck sometimes.

The band was forced to take a step back and use a slower approach. Mike Warne (guitars/vocals), Ryan McKinley (guitars/vocals), Emmett O’Reilly (bass/vocals) and David Laino (drums) bounced song ideas off Craig Finn of The Hold Steady, and went into the studio with Jon Drew, who produced their first album.

“Since we didn’t have a hard deadline to finish, we felt a lot more freedom to take our time and mess around in the studio. Jon is the kind of producer that is down to try anything, so we had lots of fun playing with trumpets, old moog synths, glockenspiels,” says Warne.

In a weird year, the familiar Pkew themes—navigating life’s small daily troubles with a sardonic grin and your friends by your side—are comforting, nostalgic.

The result is tight, rowdy modern punk with the heart and soul of classic rock. It’s cracking a beer in the park, plugging in the AUX cord on a summer road trip, cramming into a sweaty bar with your friends and a million strangers.

Releases

Pkew Pkew Pkew Open Bar

Let the Bridges We Burn Light the Way
Mom's Dime
Maybe Someday
Mr. Meowers
Fresh Pope
Beer Stick 'n' Ched
Safety Last
A Different Jimmy
Stick to your Guns, Pookie
Drinking in the Park
Young Pro

Pkew Pkew Pkew Optimal Lifestyles

Still Hangin' Out After All These Years
I Don't Matter At All
Point Break
Drinkin' Days
65 Nickels
The Polynesian
Skate 2
Passed Out
I'm Not Getting Through To You
Mt. Alb
The Pit
Everything's The Same
I Wanna See A Wolf
Adult Party
Thirsty and Humble