“Well here's a new release that hits me right in my sweet spot! Ingrates are a duo from southeastern California who play '77-style punk rock with a touch of power pop. They've debuted with a digital single called "Don't Wanna Work". If I didn't know these guys were from the Mojave Desert, I might have pegged this track as a genuine artifact from the U.K. circa 1978. It's got an old school pub-rock inspired British punk sound with a really raw production that totally fits the song. And it's topical too -- celebrating the financial benefits of unemployment in COVID times. On the virtual flip side, "Leather Lover" is an ode to a stolen leather jacket. It leans a little more to the power pop side and reminds me quite a bit of the Exploding Hearts' demo tape. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside when I realize that new bands are still worshipping at the altar of the almighty Hearts. I don't hear bands of this style as much as I used to, so I am quite grateful to have been introduced to Ingrates. In my record collecting days, I would have flipped my shit if I came across a single like this in the 7" bin. Well-done, gentlemen!” - Lord Rutledge (Faster & Louder)

 

INGRATES hail from the cosmic, otherworldly desert of Joshua Tree and don’t want to work, to the extent of singing a song about the matter. Who the hell can blame them? The title track is the drunken, power pop-tinged record I want to hear in the damp, dark corner of a bar. The slightly longer B-side moves into more lo-fi pop harmonizing in the name of leather endearment. The EP summons a time when the BOYS screamed “Brickfield Nights” and does a good job doing so. It’s the record I could see my thirteen-year-old self buying with saved lunch money. - JOHNNY LEACH

A side: Don't Wanna Work
B side: Leather Lover