STONE release ‘Punkadonk 2’ EP, listen to new single ‘Am I Even A Man’

Liverpool four piece STONE release their second EP Punkadonk 2, out now via Polydor Records. The EP release comes alongside a new extended live session, featuring three STONE live favourites including new EP highlight single ‘Am I Even A Man’. The new release follows their largest Summer yet for the band, having shared bills alongside international heavyweights including Glastonbury Festival, Mad Cool, and BST in support of Bruce Springsteen. Having just wrapped up a run of dynamic in store shows, rounded off at London’s Rough Trade East earlier this week, the band will join DMA’S on the road through the UK this December, with their own headline tour including UK & EU dates set for February.

As well as new cut ‘Am I Even A Man,’ Punkadonk 2 features previous singles ‘If You Wanna’ and ‘I Gotta Feeling,’ both championed across BBC Radio 1, picking up Clara Amfo’s ‘Hottest Record In The World’ and ‘Tune of the Week’ respectively. On ‘Am I Even A Man,’ frontperson Fin Power candidly captures his tumultuous transition into adulthood, struggling to form his own identity whilst untangling deep-rooted notions of stoicism and masculinity. In his own words, he shares; “’Am I Even a Man’ I wrote about how I felt so lost in my identity when growing up with fears of what I will become and what was happening around me. The song challenges both that sense of belonging you should have when growing up as a man, and phrases like ‘men don’t cry’ – because I in fact cried a lot.”

The release of their debut EP Punkadonk late last year capped off a breakout 12 months for STONE, showcasing the band’s knack for fusing thrilling, frenetic rock with more intimate explorations of the Gen-Z experience. Punkadonk 2 elevates the foundations of its predecessor to new heights, emphasising their command of light and shade with raw authenticity and fervent determination. EP opener ‘If You Wanna’ sets their intention, slicing through the static as a call to cherish the things that bind and fuel us. This is followed by ‘Compulsive,’ where the band unpacks the duality of feeling simultaneously distant yet grounded across its resounding hard rock chorus. This tension boils over onto ‘Am I Even a Man,’ before euphoric pop-rock cut ‘I Gotta Feeling’ lets the air back in – a wry takedown of ego and toxic bravado packed with biting one liners and inspired by a real night out. The EP unfolds into the carefree ‘Left Right Forward’ before closing with ‘I’m Still Waiting,’ a scathing commentary on the unrealistic expectations imposed on youth as they navigate the unique intensities of modernity.

Storming straight out of the new era Liverpool scene with a formidable live reputation preceding them, alongside Fin Power (vocals/guitar), STONE are completed by Elliot Gill (lead guitar) Sarah Surrage (bass), and Alex Smith (drums). It’s clear that the band are striking a chord beyond just the mosh pit and into the digital world by way of their flourishing online community, which has almost doubled in the last 6 months alone. Their burgeoning fanbase already includes some of music’s biggest names, which has led to handpicked support slots from the likes of YungBlud, Inhaler, Sam Fender, as well as blistering festival sets at Reading and Leeds and Louis Tomlinson’s ‘Away from Home’ line up in Malaga. The band have been tipped as ones to watch by the likes of NME, Dork, Rolling Stone UK, MTV and more, and championed across both BBC Radio1 and 6Music. As STONE continue to stake their claim as one of the UK’s most exhilarating young acts, Punkadonk 2 unfurls as the next poignant flagbearer of their identity, and a momentous stride forward for their personal growth and artistic maturity.

STONE – Punkadonk 2
Tracklist:

01. If You Wanna
02. Compulsive
03. Am I Even A Man
04. I’ve Gotta Feeling
05. Left Right Forward
06. I’m Still Waiting

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