Dexter and the Moonrocks have announced their debut album, Friends That I Don’t Like, out on October 2nd. They’ve also shared a new single, “It’s A Lot.”
The rock quartet, known for their viral grunge hit “Freakin’ Out”, took inspiration from their Texan roots for their first full-length album. The project spans alt-rock, grunge, southern rock, country, and everything in between; they’ve used the term “Western Space Grunge” to describe themselves in the past. The band will also celebrate the announcement of their new album with a debut late-night TV performance of “Freakin’ Out” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon tomorrow evening.
Background and Inspiration
“For a long time, people have been struggling to place us as a band,” said drummer Ryan Fox in a statement. “Coming up in the Texas music scene came with its own expectations and stigma. We always seemed to piss off the honky tonkers and underwhelm the old school metal heads, and to be quite frank, we never cared. People kept telling us we had to lean one way or the other, or else no one would ever care.”
He continued: “This album feels like a culmination of us tuning out all the bullsh*t and just being the 4 blue-collar rockers from small-town Texas that we always were. This album feels like an ode to everything we love about our upbringing and everything we wanted to change when we were young. We couldn’t be prouder of the work we’ve put in, and our ability to stay ourselves. I couldn’t tell you what Dexter and the Moonrocks means. Are we country, grunge, alt rock, southern rock? Honestly, who cares. All I know is that we’re here and we aren’t going anywhere.”
New Single and Music Video
Like “Freakin’ Out” before it, the new single “It’s A Lot” demonstrates the band’s nostalgic sound and nonchalant attitude. The guitars are tuned low, singer James Tuffs’ vocals are laced with grit and a ‘just woke up’ rasp, and the band’s syncopated, pop-punk strut is like a slacker-esque play on Lit’s eternal dirtbag anthem “My Own Worst Enemy”. The track arrives with a music video directed by Ryan Fox featuring James Tuffs and his bandmates absolutely destroying a dummy.
Discussing “It’s A Lot”, guitarist Ryan Anderson said: “It’s about whatever the listener needs it to be about as always, but to me it hits on what has happened over the past year… The effort put forward to make the most of a life-changing moment, though worth it, brings all brand new challenges. We couldn’t be more thankful for where we are now, but to 4 kids from small town Texas, sometimes it can be a lot.”
Upcoming Tour Dates
Dexter and the Moonrocks will continue supporting “Freakin’ Out” and their new era with a lengthy list of tour dates running through December. The next leg of their tour kicks off in Starkville, Mississippi on August 27th; along the way, the band will headline Hopscotch Music Festival in North Carolina, perform at Austin City Limits festival, and make their international debut with a series of shows in Australia. See their tour dates below and get tickets to see Dexter and the Moonrocks here.
The band’s upcoming tour dates include:
08/27 — Starkville, MS @ Ricks Cafe
08/28 — Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl Nashville
08/29 — North Charleston, SC @ Bulls, Bands and Barrels
09/04 — Pryor, OK @ Rocklahoma 2026
09/05 — Grand Island, NE @ Nebraska State Fair 2026
09/10 — Raleigh, NC @ Hopscotch Music Festival 2026
09/24 — Albuquerque, NM @ El rey theater
09/25 — Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
09/26 — Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
10/04 — Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits
10/10 — Newington, AU @ Strummingbird Festival 2026
10/14 — West Melbourne, AU @ Festival Hall Melbourne
10/16 — Moore Park, AU @ Hordern Pavilion
10/17 — Newcastle East, AU @ Strummingbird – Newcastle 2026
10/18 — Bokarina, AU @ Strummingbird Festival Queensland 2026
10/31 — Dallas, TX @ The Bomb Factory
11/19 — Austin, TX @ Emo’s Austin
11/20 — Austin, TX @ Emo’s Austin
11/21 — San Antonio, TX @ Stable Hall
11/28 — Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom
11/29 — Grand Rapids, MI @ The Intersection
12/01 — Fort Wayne, IN @ Clyde Theatre
12/02 — Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom
12/04 — Boston, MA @ Citizens House of Blues
12/05 — New York, NY @ Webster Hall
12/06 — New York, NY @ Webster Hall
12/09 — Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore Silver Spring
12/10 — Charlottesville, VA @ Jefferson Theater
12/12 — Louisville, KY @ Old Forester’s Paristown Hall
12/13 — St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
12/14 — Springfield, MO @ The Regency Live
12/17 — Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
12/18 — Colorado Springs, CO @ Phil Long Music Hall
In conclusion, Dexter and the Moonrocks are gearing up for a big year with the release of their debut album Friends That I Don’t Like and a slew of tour dates. With their unique sound and nonchalant attitude, they are sure to make a lasting impression on the music scene. Be sure to catch them live and experience their energetic performances for yourself.
Pixel P. Snarkbyte, widely regarded as the “Shakespeare of Sh*tposts,” is a video game expert with a unique knack for turning pixels into punchlines.
Born in the small town of Respawn, Pennsylvania, Pixel grew up mashing buttons on an ancient NES controller, firmly believing that “blowing into the cartridge” was a sacred ritual passed down through generations.
Pixel P. Snarkbyte: proving that life, much like a buggy open-world game, is better with a little lag-induced chaos.
