New Video: Weird Nightmare Shares Sweetly Nostalgic and Anthemic “Might See You There”

Almost every band that’s worth a damn has had a member, who at some point worked in a record store. With JOVM mainstay acts METZ and Weird Nightmare, it was frontman and creative mastermind Alex Edkins. Slinging indie rock and hardcore records at his hometown record store while attending university, Edkins became an ardent student of rock ‘n’ roll from the psychedelic 1960s to the DIY 1990s and beyond.

Hoopla, Edkins’ sophomore Weird Nightmare album, which is slated for a May 1, 2026 release through Sub Pop globally and Dine Alone Records in Canada, reportedly sees the JOVM mainstay mixing and matching these wide-ranging influences in fun, exhilarating combinations, showcasing his sophisticated musical mind, while continuing to showcase his unerring knack for ridiculously catchy and rousingly anthemic hooks and choruses.

Co-produced by Edkins and Spoon‘s Jim Eno at Providence‘s world famous Machines With Magnets, Hoopla also sees the acclaimed Canadian artist expanding upon Weird Nightmare’s musical palette with the addition piano, bells and castanets, which give his long-held straightforward songwriting a shiny luster.

The album will feature the previously released “Forever Elsewhere,” and the album’s latest single “Might See You There.” Seemingly channeling Cheap Trick and Weezer, “Might See You There” is a raise-your-beer in air and shout along with your best pals power pop anthem that continues to showcase Edkins’ remarkable craftsmanship. But the song is anchored in sweet, perhaps rose-colored glasses of nostalgia for one’s youth. In the case of “Might See You There,” the boredom, isolation and small joys of the narrator’s teenaged years, living in a small town — before the days of social media and constant screen time.

“‘Might See You There’ is about going back to visit my hometown and being flooded with teenage nostalgia,” Edkins explains. “Small-town boredom and isolation almost feel like a gift in today’s highly connected world. I feel fortunate for that time spent idly, down in the basement, learning the entire Rancid Let’s Go album on guitar with my friends. I find it easy to romanticise that time in my life, even though I was, without question, a disgruntled kid who badly wanted to escape my surroundings and see the world.
 
“I was listening to a lot of the Irish bands The Undertones and Protex while writing this one, and I think there is a fair bit of their influence,” the JOVM mainstay adds. “Just the simplicity and big bar chords mostly. Seth Manchester and I were very into the idea of adding piano and bells to the outro, akin to the Phil Spector-produced End of the Century album by The Ramones. The great Julianna Riolino sings with me on the choruses, too!”

The mind-bending, animated accompanying video was directed and edited by CC Mulligan.

Along with the Hoopla announcement, Edkins announced North American, UK and European Union headlining dates, including a June 27, 2026 stop at Union Pool. The tour includes a set at the inaugural Soundscape NW Festival in Portland, OR. Check out the tour dates below. Additional dates will be announced soon.
 

Tour Dates

Fri. Apr. 24 –  San Diego, CA – Soda Bar
Sat. Apr. 25 – Los Angeles, CA – Gold Diggers ^
Sun. Apr. 26 – Oakland, CA – Thee Stork Club ^
Tue. Apr. 28 – Portland, OR – Soundscape NW Festival *
Wed. Apr. 29 –  Seattle, WA – Baba Yaga
Fri. May 01 – Toronto, ON – Sonic Boom in-store
Sun. May 03 –  Brantford, ON –  zBTFD in-store 
Tue. May 12 – Kingston, ON – Broom Factory
Wed. May 13 – Montreal, PQ – Bar le Ritz
Sat. May 16 –  Halifax, NS – Marquee Ballroom #  
Wed. Jun. 17 –  London, ON – London Music Hall #
Thu. Jun. 18 – Hamilton, ON –  Bridgeworks #
Fri. Jun. 19 – Toronto, ON –  Masonic Temple #
Sat. Jun. 20 –  Ottawa, ON – The Bronson #
Wed. Jun. 24 – Richmond, VA – Richmond Music Hall
Thu. Jun. 25 – Washington, DC – Songbyrd
Fri. Jun. 26 – Philadelphia, PA  – Ortlieb’s
Sat. Jun. 27 – Brooklyn, NY – Union Pool
Sun. Jun.  28 –  Medford, MA – Deep Cuts
Fri. Aug. 28 – Malaga, ES – Canela Party Festival
Wed. Sep. 2  – Glasgow, UK – Hug & Pint
Thu. Sep. 3 – Birmingham, UK –  Hare & Hounds
Sat. Sep. 5 – London, UK –  The Lexington
Sun. Sep. 6 –  Rotterdam, NL – Rotown
Tue. Sep. 8 – Berlin, DE – Urban Spree
Wed. Sep. 9 – Koln, DE – Bumann
Thu. Sep. 10 – Paris, FR –  Point Ephemere
Fri. Sep. 11 – Lille, FR- Aeronef
Sun. Sep. 13 Asten, NL – Misty Fields Festival
 
* with Bully
^ with Mrs. Magician
# with Wintersleep

___

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