AUGUST 23, 2022 (Detroit, MI) — One part pop, one part poison, all “poolside glitter punk,” California-to-Motor City transplants Hayley and the Crushers offer up a tsunami of bold, bad girl power. Anointed as “the naked embodiment of power pop punk” by New Wave icon Josie Cotton (who signed the band to her Kitten Robot Records in 2021), Modern Adult Kicks is the Crushers’ most ambitious and self-possessed album to date.
Helmed by husband-and-wife team guitarist Hayley Crusher Cain and bass player Dr. Cain ESQ (with Action Ben Cabreana on drums), Modern Adult Kicks (release date: September 13, 2022 via Kitten Robot Records) was produced by legendary LA punk producer Paul Roessler (TSOL, Josie Cotton, Richie Ramone) and mastered by Mass Giorgini (Anti-Flag, Rise Against, Alkaline Trio) at Sonic Iguana Studios.
“Taboo,” the latest album single (out everywhere today), is a pulsing Pat Benitar-styled pop-rock anthem that leaves the listener feeling equally haunted and hunted. Said Hayley, “You can tell we had fun on Kicks, but the fun is more wicked.”
The accompanying “Taboo” music video was filmed in Detroit, a far cry from the band’s beachy San Luis Obispo, California stomping grounds. “Not only is it an insanely cool music town, but Detroit is also full of community spirit and can-do creativity,” Hayley said of her gritty new residence. “We filmed at our favorite vintage store in Mexicantown (Flamingo Vintage), a thrift-punk fever dream.” Additional scenes showcase the band’s unfinished attic, perched atop a 1920s fixer-upper. 
Modern Adult Kicks Album Artwork (hi res)
Tracklist:
- Taboo
- Cul-de-Sac
- She Drives
- Broken Window
- I Fall
- Click and Act Now!
- Lost Cause
- California Sober
- Surf of Flag (vinyl exclusive) *
- No Substitute (The Shivvers cover)
- Overexposed
According to the band, Modern Adult Kicks represents one of the only constants over the past few years.
“We went through the Covid-19 pandemic with the album, we signed to Kitten Robot Records in the middle of it, and we started working both remotely and in-person with [producer] Paul Roessler of the Screamers, the closest thing to LA punk royalty we could imagine,” Hayley said. “The album was something real to hold onto during a time of turbulence.”
Naturally, growth begets growing pains. After selling their comic book shop in an effort to keep up with a rigorous tour schedule, venues shut down completely. Says Hayley: “The band felt more somber during the creation period: more ‘grown up.’ Everyone was grappling with a new pandemic reality. Our drummer was severely injured after a skateboard crash. Dr. Cain lost his ability to work due to the lockdown. I confronted big personal questions. These songs are about heartbreak, isolation, addiction. But, of course, there’s sunshine, too. Josie Cotton believed in us and brought us into her crew. The album shines with this magic touch.”
Kicks rollercoasters through the Crusherverse’s quirky underworld with a diary’s worth of intrigue and a splash of high impact gloss. Collecting hooks from track one, Hayley conjures up the electricity of first-car freedom, the woes of suburban isolation and the lurid pleasures of Y2K chat rooms all wrapped in the warm glow of a late-night infomercial. While the content here is no doubt “adult,” there’s no shortage of kicks to be had, either. Said Hayley: “Growing up doesn’t have to mean you stop dancing.”
Hayley and the Crushers’ Modern Adult Kicks will be released on September 13 via Kitten Robot Records.
TOUR DATES (poster hi-res)
9/23 Fort Wayne, IN – The Brass Rail
9/24 Indianapolis, IN – Melody Inn Punk Rock Night Indianapolis
9/25 Chicago, IL – Reggies
9/27 Toledo, OH – The Ottawa Tavern
9/28 Cleveland, OH – Hatfield’s Goode Grub
9/30 Youngstown, OH – Westside Bowl
10/1 Columbus, OH – Spacebar
10/4 Nashville, TN – The Basement
10/7 Detroit, MI – Small’s
10/8 Grand Rapids, MI – Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grillxe
11/18 San Diego, CA – Til 2 Club
11/19 San Pedro, CA – The Sardine / Recess Ops
11/26 Los Angeles, CA – The Redwood Bar