07/18/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/18/2025 09:42
Stream "Father Panik" HERE
July 18, 2025 - Today, LA-based punk polymath Dagger Polyester has released "Father Panik", a propulsive glam rock exploration of personal ads, limerence and the state of modern romance. Produced by Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes and recorded at the legendary Sunset Sound studios, the new track will appear on Polyester's debut LP Perversion For Profit that's set for release on August 1.
A swaggering Bowie-inspired rock track anchored by anthemic synth lines performed by Roger Joseph Manning Jr. of Jellyfish and playfully catching backing vocals, "Father Panik" examines how mental illness has damaged the state of modern romance, with Polyester sneering: "death of romance, "mercy!" they cried / house of the holy where sinners are tried / if this ain't real love, I don't wanna know what is". Initially written before the album's recording sessions began, the track was modified after a conversation with Robinson concerning old Hollywood gossip, with Polyester choosing to amplify the song's dark humor and satire. The line "lovers by force like Brando and Dean / feeling the twitch of duck and Guillotine"was added to the song after this discussion, prompted by a morose story Robinson told involving Marlon Brando, James Dean, and a French sex club. Humorous yet bitingly relevant in the modern era, the track is yet another example of Polyester's unique brand of songwriting that effortlessly infuses forward-thinking punk rock with timely social satire and commentary.
Speaking about the track, Dagger Polyester noted: "Once upon a time I came across a leather mag called "Father Panik" that featured a bunch of salacious personal ads. It got me thinking about homosexual fantasies of masculinity, along with the gay panic defense tragically used in court to justify murder. Denying one's fantasies seems to breed only violence and confusion, so Pervert Yourself or… Panik!"
Exhilarating, bold, and devilishly sardonic, Perversion For Profit is an ambitious first statement from one of LA's most innovative rising talents. A quirky, genre-fluid rebuttal against the escalating commercialization of queerness and the ever-growing threat of nationalized fascism, the LP's nine tracks draw influence from artists as diverse as Roxy Music, Suicide, The Walker Brothers, P-Funk, Van Dyke Parks, and Talking Heads. Tracked at the legendary Sunset Sound (birthplace of records by Janis Joplin, The Rolling Stones, Neil Young, and others) with The Black Crowes' Chris Robinson manning the boards, Polyester's sneering vocal delivery of their biting social satire is effectively captured atop Robinson's gutsy production. While sonically inspired by the sounds of the past, Perversion For Profitoffers listeners the opportunity to gaze into the future, and it's a pleasure to observe one of rock's bold new talents spread their wings in real-time. Vinyl and CDs can be purchased at: https://daggerpolyester.com/ |
'Perversion For Profit' album cover |
'Perversion For Profit' Tracklist:
ABOUT DAGGER POLYESTER
Pull back the red velvet curtain of the LA underground and you'll find Dagger Polyester-a force of nature fusing punk, glam, and art rock into something fiercely original. Their music channels subversive authenticity and theatrical defiance, drawing on influences from Roxy Music to Kenneth Anger. With sharp, satirical songwriting and a sound that embraces contradiction, Dagger confronts queerness, masculinity, and identity with style and wit. Their electrifying live performances-part punk riot, part glam opera-have landed them on stages with Yves Tumor, The Dare, and Alex Cameron. Produced by Chris Robinson (The Black Crowes), Dagger's debut full-length arrives in 2025, ready to upend everything you thought you knew about rock.