Anxious share new single "Head & Spine" ahead of Bambi release

News

4 Dec

Connecticut punks Anxious have shared their latest single, "Head & Spine," as the band gears up for the release of their sophomore album Bambi on 21 February via Run For Cover Records. The new track arrives following the success of Bambi's lead single, "Counting Sheep," and further showcases the band’s evolving sound and lyrical depth.

"Head & Spine" opens with a rush of shimmering guitars, underpinned by a sharp, emotive edge that sets the tone for what follows. The track swells into a soaring chorus, rich with layered textures and ringing chords that embody Bambi's broader sonic ambitions. Guitarist Dante Melucci and vocalist Grady Allen blend dynamic instrumentation with a sense of deliberate urgency, drawing on influences that span Jimmy Eat World to The Smashing Pumpkins. While the song feels grand in scope, it remains unmistakably Anxious—tightly focused and emotionally resonant.

Speaking about the track, Allen revealed how its structure came together over time:

“Head & Spine is probably one of my favourite songs on the whole record. The whole song came together over months just riff by riff. It felt kind of unclear exactly where the song was going to land... There’s all of these sort of disjointed pieces, we were trying to pull from Blink-182’s Untitled, some Smashing Pumpkins--even the bridge is this dramatic thing we wouldn’t typically do. All together I think it really works though.”

Lyrically, the track explores the frustration of engaging with negativity, particularly the sharp cruelty often found in online spaces. Allen captures the tension between being affected by toxic behaviour and feeling complicit for letting it take hold:

“Existing in subculture there’s this weird sort of passive acceptance (and even green lighting) towards people who just seem to want to inflict pain... Anytime I see someone being weird and vindictive on the internet towards a person, a band, ANYONE, I’m just struck with the feeling of ‘wow, you don’t even know this person or these people and you’re just totally comfortable ripping them apart? You’re cool with making fun of them?’”

The raw honesty in Allen’s words adds a deeper layer to "Head & Spine," highlighting a struggle that feels both personal and universal.

Anxious first caught attention with their 2022 debut album Little Green House, a record that bridged hardcore roots with classic emo sensibilities. Since then, the band’s sound has expanded, embracing alternative rock elements without losing their signature grit. Bambi represents a significant step forward, blending influences old and new while tackling themes of growth, change, and the often-uncomfortable process of leaving adolescence behind. Tracks like "Head & Spine" reflect this balance—ambitious in sound yet grounded in candid reflection.

The album, produced and engineered by Brett Romnes at The Barber Shop Studios, promises to capture Anxious at their most confident and cohesive yet. With Bambi's release date drawing closer, "Head & Spine" offers fans another glimpse of what’s to come: a band taking bold strides forward without losing sight of who they are.

Save the date for Bambi, and watch the Lyric video for “Head & Spine”: