A musical force since Against Me!'s debut in the late-’90s and one of Billboard Magazine’s “50 Greatest Rock Lead Singers Of All Time,” punk veteran Laura Jane Grace has never shied away from themes of political commentary, environmentalism, social critique and candid self-exploration. On the forthcoming Hole In My Head, she continues to showcase her songwriting genius across the 11 tracks presented here, issuing an album that captures the nuances of humanity and experience in a strangely optimistic manner. The lightness of its influence, and the journalistic recollection of experience set against a battered and warm folk-punk delivery from beginning to end, makes Hole In My Head a refreshing comfort and a welcome embrace of life.

From the scrappy acoustic anthem “Dysphoria Hoodie,” the Jonathan Richman-inspired “I’m Not A Cop” and jangle of “Punk Rock in Basements,” a Dion-inspired song where she looks back on the formative underground spaces of her youth, Hole In My Head also takes time to reflect on Grace’s ongoing travels and adopted homes, themes that have always been at the heart of her songwriting. Written in Amsterdam on a black hollow-body Gretsch guitar that was hand-painted by her friend Gakkin, “Birds Talk Too” is a song that commemorates Grace’s recent experience of having her head shaved and tattooed by the famed Japanese artist.

Elsewhere, the easygoing “Tacos and Toast” settles into the ease of living in her now part-time home of St. Louis. Assuming ownership of what was once Jajouka, a storied warehouse studio that previously belonged to Jay Farrar of Son Volt and Uncle Tupelo, Grace views St. Louis as a city where her ability to make music in a new place has been fully renewed. “St. Louis really opened its arms to me and I just have such a great time when I’m there. It’s a really special city,” she says. “To me, it feels like the way every city in America felt when I first started touring in the late-‘90s, and this crazy mix of fun and adventure, but danger and possibility.” Vibrant and direct as ever, Hole In My Head is an exciting hallmark in Grace’s colorful and ever-changing journey.

Presented by MODO Live, KPP Concerts and Programme, Laura Jane Grace performs live at The Broom Factory in Kingsotn on May 14 with Worriers and Sam Russo. Tickets on sale now and can be purchased online here: web link Posted: Jan 20, 2024