Five years after their last release, Imperial Teen are back with news of their seventh studio album. All Over You arrives on 9 October via Merge Records, accompanied by the release of lead single ‘Overdrive’, a sharp, hook-laden introduction to the band’s latest chapter and their first run of headline shows since 2020.
Stream it HERE.
Written during a late-night writing session in Provincetown, ‘Overdrive’ captures everything that has long defined Imperial Teen: taut melodies, sly humour and a restless energy that has kept the San Francisco quartet distinct for more than three decades. Built around an infectious chorus, the track slips in a playful nod to the Sex Pistols while remaining unmistakably their own.
The announcement also marks the band’s return to the stage. Imperial Teen will first join The Breeders for two performances at San Francisco’s Castro Theatre before embarking on a headline tour across the United States, with dates including Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, Boston, Philadelphia and New York.
For guitarist and vocalist Roddy Bottum, each Imperial Teen album reflects a snapshot in time rather than a fixed creative plan. Despite living in different cities, Bottum, Will Schwartz, Jone Stebbins and Lynn Truell continue to rely on concentrated bursts of collaboration, gathering for writing retreats before completing recording across multiple sessions separated by months or even years.
That approach shapes All Over You, an album driven by spontaneity and instinct. According to the band, ‘Overdrive’ was captured in a final vocal take just before Schwartz left to catch a ferry, while the title track evolved from a computer demo into a punchy power-pop anthem driven by Stebbins’ fuzz-soaked bassline and Truell’s explosive closing vocal. Throughout the record, bubblegum pop, distorted guitars, electronic textures and four-way vocal harmonies collide in a sound that feels both familiar and continually evolving.
Lyrically, the album explores desire, alienation and the realities of making art in contemporary life, while maintaining the band’s long-held belief that great pop music can be emotionally resonant without sacrificing immediacy. As Schwartz puts it: “We want to make people dance and think and feel at the same time.”
More than 30 years after forming in San Francisco, Imperial Teen continue to occupy a singular space in alternative music. All Over You doesn’t attempt to revisit the past. Instead, it builds on a legacy of smart, melodic songwriting that has always thrived on balancing sharp wit with irresistible pop instincts.
Imperial Teen Tour Dates:
22nd August – San Francisco, CA @ The Castro Theatre *
23rd August – San Francisco, CA @ The Castro Theatre *
14th October – Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon +
15th October – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill +
17th October – Seattle, WA @ Barboza +
18th Ocrtober – Portland, OR @ Swan Dive +
3rd November – Boston, MA @ The Lilypad
4th November – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right
5th November – Philadelphia, PA @ Nikki Lopez
7th November – Durham, NC @ The Pinhook
* w/ The Breeders [SOLD OUT]
+ w/ Kids on a Crime Spree
Go HERE for tickets.
