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Fake Names, the punk supergroup featuring members of Refused, Bad Religion, Minor Threat and more, have released the new single “If You Could See Me Today.” It’s taken from their upcoming album Punk Ruins, due October 23rd, with UK/European and US tour dates to follow in early 2027.
Fake Names, the punk supergroup featuring members of Refused, Bad Religion, Minor Threat and other landmark hardcore bands, have released the new song “If You Could See Me Today.” The track is the latest single from the band’s upcoming album Punk Ruins, which arrives October 23rd, and it finds the group leaning into jangle pop guitars and soulful vocals rather than the hardcore sound its members are best known for.
The song was released alongside a lyric video. According to Consequence’s report, “If You Could See Me Today” carries an earthy mid-tempo rock energy against which jangle pop guitars and yearning, soulful vocals strain — a notable stylistic departure for a band assembled from hardcore and punk veterans. The outlet’s review describes the song’s arrangement and lyrics as evoking something like Motown through the lens of Big Star.
“If You Could See Me Today” follows the album’s lead single, “Until It’s Normal,” which Consequence named a Heavy Song of the Week upon its release. Punk Ruins is due out October 23rd.
Fake Names currently consists of Brian Baker (Minor Threat, Dag Nasty, Bad Religion), Dennis Lyxzén (Refused, INVSN), Michael Hampton (S.O.A., Embrace, The Faith), Johnny Temple (Girls Against Boys, Soulside), and new drummer Mario Rubalcaba (Rocket From the Crypt, Off!). The band has announced a UK/European tour in late January, followed by a seven-date United States run beginning in mid-February.
Hardcore Veterans Chase a Softer Sound
The release matters to punk and hardcore listeners because Fake Names collects musicians from some of the genre’s most influential bands — Minor Threat and Bad Religion shaped American hardcore and melodic punk, while Refused’s The Shape of Punk to Come remains a landmark of experimental post-hardcore. That a group with this pedigree is writing mid-tempo, jangle pop-inflected rock signals how these players continue to range beyond the sounds they defined.
The single also builds momentum for Punk Ruins, with each release so far drawing positive attention — including the Heavy Song of the Week designation for “Until It’s Normal” — ahead of the album’s October 23rd arrival and the band’s subsequent international touring.
How Fake Names Came Together
Fake Names first formed as a project connecting Washington, D.C. hardcore figures with Scandinavian punk royalty. The current lineup spans several generations of punk: Baker and Hampton were central to the early-1980s D.C. hardcore scene, Temple came through Soulside and Girls Against Boys, Lyxzén fronted Refused, and Rubalcaba — described in the announcement as the band’s new drummer — is known for Rocket From the Crypt and Off!.
The band’s previous releases blended punk energy with classic rock and power pop instincts, a direction that “If You Could See Me Today” extends further into jangle pop territory. Punk Ruins is the band’s next full-length and follows the already-released single “Until It’s Normal.”
“Its intelligent lyrics and arrangement allow the group to pull off something that feels like Motown through the lens of Big Star.”
— Consequence (review of the single)
Album Details Still Unconfirmed
Several details about Punk Ruins remain unclear, including the full tracklist, whether additional singles will be released before October 23rd, and specific production credits. Exact venues, cities and on-sale information for the announced UK/European and US tour dates had not been fully detailed in the initial announcement, and it is not confirmed whether more dates will be added to the US run.
Album Drop and Winter Tour Ahead
Punk Ruins arrives October 23rd. Following the album’s release, Fake Names will head out on a UK/European tour in late January, then play a seven-date US run beginning in mid-February. Fans can expect further announcements regarding additional singles, full tour routing and ticket availability in the coming weeks.
Key Questions
Who is in Fake Names?
The band features Brian Baker (Minor Threat, Dag Nasty, Bad Religion), Dennis Lyxzén (Refused, INVSN), Michael Hampton (S.O.A., Embrace, The Faith), Johnny Temple (Girls Against Boys, Soulside), and new drummer Mario Rubalcaba (Rocket From the Crypt, Off!).
When does the new Fake Names album come out?
Punk Ruins is scheduled for release on October 23rd. “If You Could See Me Today” and “Until It’s Normal” are the singles released from it so far.
What does “If You Could See Me Today” sound like?
According to Consequence, the song is a mid-tempo, earthy rock track with jangle pop guitars and soulful, yearning vocals, compared by the outlet to Motown filtered through Big Star.
Is Fake Names touring?
Yes. The band plays a UK/European tour in late January, followed by a seven-date US run beginning in mid-February.
Source: rss
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