Simple Creatures have released a new song and instant-grat track “Strange Love,” available with album pre-order purchase on iTunes, and streaming across all digital platforms. The accompanying video is directed by Megan Thompson and Erik Rojas. Their debut EP, also titled Strange Love, will be released on March 29 on BMG.

Simple Creatures is a new project that evolved from a long-standing friendship and a musical kinship. Mark Hoppus (blink-182) and Alex Gaskarth (All Time Low) took a beat from their individual bands to have some fun in the studio, and came away with a new band with a new sound, which they introduced with debut single “Drug.” Consequence of Sound instantly deemed it “bright and catchy” while Brooklyn Vegan called it a “festival-ready alt-pop stomper.” 

“Strange Love is the first glimpse into the Simple Creatures universe. Cooked up in studios and basements around Los Angeles, we set out to push ourselves in musical directions that are new and exciting to us. Embracing new recording techniques and processes, we broke songs down to their barest bones and rebuilt them into musical Frankenstein monsters. From uptempo tracks like ‘Drug,’ to the ratty snarl of ‘Lucy,’ we’ve broken out of our own musical molds and built a world of trashy guitars, distorted synths, crushing programmed drums, and a whole lot of fun and noise,” said Hoppus.

“Strange Love is the proverbial foot-kicking-down-the-door to the house of Simple Creatures. We picked these songs to represent everything that this project is about, to defy expectations, and to showcase the stylistic choices we set out to make from its inception. The approach to writing was, ‘whatever makes us feel like we’re way outside of our comfort zone.’ We weren’t afraid to push each other and strive to get stranger,” added Gaskarth.

“On paper, this collaboration between two of pop-punk’s most recognizable and commercially powerful songwriters should have proved entirely predictable – a crush of pit-friendly anthems and surging riffola. Except their latest out is anything but. The first single, ‘Drug’… an explosive rush of heavy-hearted pop that clatters and crackles with programmed drum breaks, scuzzy guitars and skittering melodies, with both singers sharing vocal duties,’ wrote Kerrang.

The duo is currently in rehearsal, preparing for select live dates to be announced soon.

1. “Drug”

2. “Strange Love”

3. “How To Live”

4. “Adrenaline”

5. “Ether”

6. “Lucy”