Alex Edkins has developed an honed a reputation for being a master craftsman of sweaty, mosh pit friendly rippers as the frontman of Toronto-based JOVM mainstays METZ.
Edkins’ new side project Weird Nightmare sees the METZ frontman showcasing a new side of his long-established songwriting featuring enormous power chords and mosh pit friendly hooks and choruses he’s best known for — but with a sugary, distorted power pop touch.
Weird Nightmare’s debut single “Searching For You” is a fun, straightforward power pop banger featuring shout-along-with-upraised-beer-in-the-mosh-pit choruses, swooningly earnest lyricism, the enormous power chords Edkins is best known for but with an accessible, old-timey inspired craftsmanship that makes the song incredibly radio friendly — as though it Edkins and his METZ bandmates were covering Cheap Trick or Big Star.
“It’s a fun, no nonsense rock ‘n’ roll song,” Edkins explains. “It’s about searching for meaning and inspiration all around us. In my mind, the ‘you’ in the chorus refers to something bigger than companionship or love, it’s that intangible thing we all look for but never find.”
Directed by Ryan Thompson and animated by Jordan “Dr. Cool” Minkoff, the accompanying visual for “Searching For You” is fittingly a trip into a weird nightmare that follows a pizza delivery person racing against the clock to deliver a pizza before it becomes free.
Sub Pop will be releasing the Weird Nightmare self-titled debut on May 20, 2022. Edkins and Weird Nightmare will be embarking on a handful of North American co-headlining dates with labelmates Kiwi Jr. The tour includes a July 28, 2022 stop at Baby’s All Right. Check out the rest of the tour dates below.
North American Tour Dates
Sat. May 21st – Toronto, ON – Baby G (Toronto Record Release Show)
Fri. Jun. 17th – Detroit, MI – Third Man Records *
Sat. Jun. 18th – Chicago, IL – Schubas *
Thu. Jul. 28th – Brooklyn, NY – Baby’s Alright *
Fri. Jul. 29th – Rehoboth Beach, DE – Dogfish Head Brewery *
Sat. Jul. 30th – Washington, DC – Songbyrd *
Sun. Jul. 31st – Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s *
*w/ Kiwi Jr