Taking Meds

On a cold November night in 2018, I crowded into a dimly lit basement in a suburb of New Hampshire and watched Taking Meds play a house show to a bunch of kids I haven’t seen since high school. In the aptly named World’s End basement, these New York punks blew the blunts right out of everyone’s mouth (this is not an analogy; I straight up watched someone’s jaw drop mid-toke at their sheer shredding capabilities).

Set to release I Hate Me on July 12th, Taking Meds are continuing that relentless, jaded but earnest energy on a 24 day, 25 show tour which includes two stops at SXSW this week. The band is an amalgamation of members who’ve been in the DIY year for years in various projects, most notably half of the band coming from the heralded pop punk outfit Such Gold. But Taking Meds branches off from their other groups similarly to how Drug Church drifts away from Self Defense Family. The music is air-tight, but the energy is loose and carefree. The band has no shortage of fun on stage and it translates into their songs seamlessly, blending catchy vocal melodies with off kilter, angular guitar dueling guitars driven by frenetic (and absolutely impeccable) drumming.

Below you can check out their latest offering, the first single off I Hate Me as well as a b-side that almost didn’t make it to fruition. The album is due out July 12th on Near Mint Records, with physical and digital preorders coming in spring. - The Alternative

Last month we were super excited to bring you the first single from I Hate Me, the new full length record from New York-based quartet Taking Meds. It’s been a long road for the band, who have been releasing music under this moniker since 2013. Although they’ve had a few lineup changes under their belt, their discography is a surprisingly sweet progression and I Hate Me is no different. It’s not everyday that a band rolls around with a performance so tight that you can feel the camaraderie between the members.



“Stranger Who Stares” showcases the band at the same level of precise technicality we’ve grown to love, but with a broodier umbrella unfurled the second Skylar’s haunting vocals come in. It paints the band in a light we’re not super familiar with them being in, definitely a more raw and introspective vibe. It’s also quickly become one of my favorite songs this year, and it’s also been a huge hit with comedian Gilbert Gottfried (we’re not kidding): - The Alternative

Based in Brooklyn, NY, Taking Meds is a band that shares members with a former incarnation of Such Gold. But unlike that latter's pop-punk-flavored songwriting style, Taking Meds take things in a completely different musical direction altogether.

"Angular" is such a rock critic term, but in the case of the band at hand, it fits so well. Taking Meds bring to mind groups like Dismemberment Plan and Chavez, merging melody with off-kilter rhythms and twisty guitar parts. Next month brings the release of I HATE ME, the quartet's sophomore album, and they've just sent No Echo the music video for the track "Tough Guy." Directed by NYC filmmaker Luke LeCount, and starring Summerhead's Grey Gordon, the clip can be seen/heard below: - No Echo

By now you should all know who Taking Meds are. Earlier this year we premiered two singles from their forthcoming debut, I Hate Me. The Brooklyn/Rochester group have truly refined their technical take on punk into something truly ingenuous and re-playable.

The band states that the record thematically deals with coming to terms with insecurities and character defects when going through recovery from substance abuse. Underneath it all though is a wildly proficient mathcore-leaning infusion that Taking Meds have curated their own tiny corner of punk with. Keeping a music nerd excited isn’t easy work, but Taking Meds haven’t left our radar and it’s doubtful they ever will.

In support of the album’s release, the band recently embarked on a U.S. tour with record release shows scheduled in Fort Wayne, Rochester, Brooklyn, and Jersey Shore. Due out 7.12 on Near Mint Records, I Hate Me is streaming early in its entirety below, where you can also check out their full tour routing and preorder link. - The Alternative