Ultra Q has released his raucous new single “VR Sex” from his upcoming debut album My Guardian Angel will be out June 9 via Royal Mountain Records.
The song premiered earlier today (January 31) via Jack Saunders on BBC Radio 1. Unlike previous single ‘I Watched Them Go’ this one is closer to the band’s scratchy punk rock roots. It’s an energetic headbanger that’s an adrenaline rush as the guitars and drums crash together in perfect harmony.
Speaking about the new song in a press release singer Jakob Armstrong says “‘VR Sex’ was the last song I wrote for this album. At the end of the writing process, I really had no idea what this record was going to be. Stylistically , it mostly leaned towards shoegaze / dreampop with a few outliers here and there. When you write so many songs over a long period of time, eventually your taste will change and your interest will wane.”
He continues, “This is the point where I rediscovered my love for MCR, specifically the second album. I really wanted to have an emo ripper on the record but I really didn’t think it could fit. After a bit of testing, I decided that I really need to write this song. It deals with the period of time shortly after a close friend almost died in a car accident. In a way, this event was the catalyst for a lot of the themes on this album and writing about it was an extremely cathartic way to end the album process.”
Watch the video below.
Produced by Chris Coady (TV on the Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs) a press release describes My Guardian Angel as “a deep sonic palette matched by Armstrong’s artistic ambition. Wildly vacillating between widescreen pop-punk (“Klepto,” the impeccably titled “VR Sex”), romantic new wave (“Rocket”, “I Wanna Lose”) and shimmering synth-pop (“I Watched Them Go”). , the album showcases Armstrong’s songwriting talents – along with the musicianship of Kevin Judd and brothers Chris and Enzo Malaspina – conceived and recorded for maximum impact.”
It continues “Emotional growing pains, sleepless nights, the ethereal allure of romance, and the notion of sound so closely tied to memory are all wrapped up in deft guitar interplay reminiscent of the band’s formative influences, but delivered in its own identity. . The words are attached to feelings that we think will slip away from us in the fading and tarnished pallor of adulthood; In truth, those feelings appear just as fresh the older we get.”
Check out the album art and tracklist below. Pre-order My Guardian Angel here.
Ultra Q will embark on a short tour in California in support of the new album with Together Pangea. The tour begins March 16 in Ventura and ends March 26 in Fresno. Tickets are now on sale.
Artwork:
Tracklist:
1. Saturday
2. VR Sex
3. Rocket
4. I Watched Them Go
5. Website Website
6. Kleptus
7. Slope
8. Wrap
9. So Very Emo
10. I Want To Lose
11. Toothpick
12. Dark Green
Ultra Q 2023 Tour Dates:
03/16 – Ventura Music Hall – Ventura, CA
03/17 – Soma Sidestage – San Diego, CA
03/18 – Last Exit – Phoenix, AZ
03/22 – Treefort Festival – Boise, ID
03/23 – Holland Project – Reno, CA
03/24 – Harlow’s – Sacramento, CA
03/25 – The Ritz – San Jose, CA
03/26 – Strummer’s – Fresno, CA
