Melodic hardcore punk band tardigrade. is the new project of Luke Mills, who works for the Connecticut based independent label Darth Fader Records. Based out of Philadelphia, PA, tardigrade. is a mixture of various bands, sounding similar to acts such as Title Fight, Propagandhi, and Minor Threat. Their debut single, “Hypnopaedia,” which means “learning by hearing while asleep or under hypnosis,” packs a powerful punch, clocking in at three minutes and two seconds. Raw, emotional, and full of anger, “Hypnopaedia” is one hell of a debut.

In an interview with Mills’s brother Craig, owner of Darth Fader Records and bassist for the pop-punk band Caliway, via email, Craig tells the story behind this deep track.

“‘Hypnopaedia’ is about the way that so many people in our society see complex issues as black and white when in actuality, there are many shades of grey,” Craig wrote. “People are so caught up in their own side of any given issue that they don’t stop to think whether there are any flaws to their beliefs. They also don’t consider that the other side might be right about some aspects. Everyone wants things to be cut and dry. Real solutions come from hard work.”

The song is heavily inspired by the recent US election, being a huge middle finger to both candidates.

“The election was so divisive,” Craig wrote. “It has put the two sides so staunchly against each other that no one is really even talking about the issues anymore, they’re just yelling about how much they hate the other side.”

Luke’s burning hatred towards this past election can be clearly heard towards the end of the song. In the final verse, Luke shouts, “Your inability to handle complexity is nothing short of hilarity/ Yes, I find it honestly laughable the way you shudder in the face of idiosyncrasy/ You’re too caught up in the predetermined stereotype of your chosen ideology to see/ The world’s not as black and white as you and your simple minded neighbors have been lead to believe/ You preach the faults of the other side from the moral high ground of your own realm of self reassurance/ Scream your head off in your tired hateful world while the rest of us watch the real world burn/ To you, sixty two thousand four hundred repetitions make one truth, right?”

Craig later wrote that tardigrade. is currently working on another single and should be out within a month or two. “Hypnopaedia” is available now on all major music platforms. Links for the Bandcamp and YouTube pages can be found below.

Bandcamp: https://tardigradepunk.bandcamp.com/releases

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKcQ86GPuGA 

email: [email protected]