Weird Nightmare's Hoopla Is One Of The Best Albums of 2026
- Josh Kitchen
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
By : Josh Kitchen / June 29, 2026
fans who've come to know you and enjoy how you think about—and share your love of pop music have been really blessed by this record.
I think at my core, I'm always going to be a punk and hardcore kid, really. So I think, try as I might, that's always going to be there, and I'm happy about that. Finding that music when I was younger changed my life in a very positive way. I met my best friends and family that way, so that's always going to be there in my music.
But I think for this record especially, I was focused on really pushing forward the melody, the harmony, wasting no time getting straight to the hook that gives you that sugar rush, that endorphin rush. I know, for me, I'm a big fan of that kind of songwriting. Nothing makes me happier than hearing a Tom Petty song with that unbelievable lift at the chorus. So yeah, that was certainly—maybe subconsciously—what I was focusing on when I was putting these songs together.
What you get on Hoopla is, I think, ten songs where I was just trying to write a collection of singles. I think they all stand up on their own and hopefully work well together as a little fun ride for people to take.
When I put it on, I hear Tom Petty, I hear Matthew Sweet, I hear R.E.M., I hear The Byrds. That power-pop jingle-jangle just elicits that happy, endorphin rush.
I'm so glad that's coming through. I've talked about this a little, but all those bands you mentioned—and things like Teenage Fanclub, and stuff like the Ramones, the Buzzcocks, and the Undertones as well, the poppier side of the first wave of punk—were really inspiring to me.
Matthew Sweet... I saw him play a festival when I was a teenager, and he had songs that were getting pumped into my TV. MuchMusic was the Canadian version of MTV. There was also a scene on the East Coast in Canada, mostly based around this label called Murder Records, with bands like Sloan, The Inbreds, and Eric's Trip. Those were all bands that were in love with melody in the same way. So I got a lot of that coming in. It was almost forced upon me, but I loved it, and I'm glad it was. That makes me really happy, that those influences are coming through, and they're coming through in a very natural way. It's just that, with all of the music I wrote with METZ, this feels so exciting and fresh now, so I'm just following that feeling.
The record sounds like Alex Edkins to me, but with those flavors of things that are so familiar that both the artists and the listeners have come to love.
I don't think there's any bigger bummer than when a band is too clearly borrowing. For me, I've just been a massive music fan and record collector for most of my life, and I try to never knowingly pull from one thing. It's more like mixing everything up in a blender, and that's who you are as a musical person. It's all of your influences, and you try to let that naturally come out.
Hoopla is certainly that for me. I think it touches on a lot of my musical loves, and also, lyrically, it touches on many different sections—or eras—of my life. It's quite sentimental at times. More than ever, it's looking back, whereas METZ was very present day. This one is a little more heart-on-your-sleeve, looking back on my life.
I just love hearing new guitar music right now. I feel like people crave it, which is why bands like Geese, or MJ Lenderman are so hot right now.
Yeah. I always get stoked whenever guitar music gets attention. It doesn't matter if I dig a band or not—I'm just like, "Yeah, let's go." A band like Geese—yeah, I know they're getting a little oversaturated—but it's exciting that a guitar band is capturing so much attention and inspiring people. When I hear hoopla, it feels like another one of those records. It's just so fun and exciting.
Talk to me about having Jim Eno help produce the record. I'm a huge Spoon fan—I know you are too—and a lot of what we're talking about today fits right into that lineage of bands we love.
It was a total dream scenario where the universe aligned for me. Seth Manchester, who recorded and mixed the record, is a longtime friend and collaborator. He did two METZ records, so I planned to go to his studio. He mentioned that his buddy Jim [Eno] was moving his studio from Austin to Providence, about ten minutes away from Seth's studio in Pawtucket. Seth suggested, "He's the best, and obviously you love all those records. Why don't you ask him?"
So I worked up the nerve, had a phone call with Jim, and he was into it. It was such a lovely, serendipitous moment that I couldn't have even dreamed up. He was there all week with us and was a source of great ideas. He brought all kinds of amazing vintage gear to use. At this point in my music-making career, I'm trying to let things happen naturally. I don't want to force anything.
Even the artwork behind me—that was a painting by a friend of mine who made a T-shirt for the band in the early days. I'm not overthinking things anymore. I'm just letting it roll, and good things are happening. Knock on wood. Jim being involved was one of those examples of taking a chance, asking, and seeing what happens. I'm so honored that he spent the week with us working on this music. I think it turned out so great because of him, Seth, and all the other players I had on the record. It was just a very smooth, fun, easy way to make a record. the production is awesome. It sounds great with headphones on. It sounds great without headphones on. There's nothing like driving and listening to this kind of music with the windows down. I'm in L.A., and it's been so fucking hot—so it's perfect.
I've been sitting on this record. I've been pushing it back for a lot of reasons. One was that I just didn't want to be on the road yet, and another was that I was moving house.
But a huge reason I pushed it back was because I always thought of it as a spring record. I wanted the snow to be thawing. I wanted people to be out walking and have this in their ears because that's just the way it feels to me. So I love hearing that. It's a total L.A. record in that way—driving around, being out in the sun.
What is keeping your faith alive in guitar music?
I don't know if I've ever had any doubts. Let's look at it that way. I think there's always been incredible punk, hardcore, and underground music. You just have to go looking for it. It goes in and out of fashion like all things. If you're hungry for it, it's there. You can find it everywhere you go.
There might not always be writers and people shining a light on it, so there's not necessarily one thing right now that's the shining beacon of all that's great in music.
I like it all. I like all different genres and styles. But as far as the good stuff goes, if you dig down a little bit, it's right there.
I love hearing that because it's so easy to fall into that boomer mentality of, "Gene Simmons says rock is dead."
Oh my God. I remember Roger Daltrey saying that too. It's like, you're not looking. You're expecting the radio to play it for you.
That's why I think it's refreshing to hear what you're saying, because I agree with you that rock has never been dead. It's always been there for those with the eyes and ears to see and hear it.
Yeah. If you're not getting spoon-fed your music, and you're actually part of it—you're supporting musicians, going to shows, seeking out lesser-known bands and records—then there's absolutely no doubt that it's better than ever.
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