Explores friendship & heartbreak on new LP ‘Hold You Hard’, out now On Red Scare. Gearing up for West Coast tour with Teenage Bottlerocket. FFO: Samiam, The Weakerthans, Alkaline Trio, Bright Eyes.

Long defined by his singular voice and quietly defiant songwriting, he continues to chart his own course, never chasing trends, always reaching for something honest. LP, his fourth full-length release with Red Scare Industries out now, finds him expanding his sound with a full band: Chris Stockings (guitar), Josh Hurrell (bass), and Matt Walrond (drums). Together, they explore themes of distance, desire, and dislocation, drawing on imagery that drifts between the wheat fields of East Anglia and the faded romance of American coastlines. Though he hails from far outside the traditional UK punk strongholds and music cities, Russo’s perspective is anything but detached. There’s a timelessness to his writing, introspective yet immediate, rooted in solitude but always reaching outward. Whether performing solo or with a band, he remains a uniquely vital presence in modern punk-inspired songwriting: not chasing discovery, just steadily becoming unmissable. Russo has built a loyal following the long way—through relentless touring and word of mouth—sharing stages with Tim Barry, The Lawrence Arms, Lucero, Dan Andriano of Alkaline Trio. It was on a European tour with Andriano and Brendan Kelly (The Lawrence Arms) that Russo first connected with Red Scare, sparking a creative partnership that continues to this day. In summer 2023, he formed a new band, rehearsing after hours in the file room of a metal shop on an industrial estate in Haverhill. They sweated and grafted and found a sound that summer, and they started writing parts that would become the first song on ‘Hold You Hard’. Six months later the band turned its energy towards artist’s new material. The full-band tracks pulse with the spirit of Southern California punk and grind with the grit of the UK DIY scene, brought to life by Russo’s unmistakable songwriting. The acoustic side, written mostly solo and including a co-write with Vinnie Caruana (The Movielife, I Am The Avalanche), is instinctive, emotionally raw, intimate, and honest. At its heart, new album is about how love grows, fades, and changes shape. Russo explores long-term relationships, family, heartbreak, friendship, memory, and place—without flinching from the joy or pain of giving yourself to another.

Upcoming Tour with Teenage Bottlerocket:
11/18 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Usual Place
11/19 – Riverside, CA @ Romano’s Concert Lounge
11/20 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
11/21 – Sacramento, CA @ Goldfield Trading Post
11/22 – San Jose, CA @ The Ritz
11/23 – Reno, NV @ Virginia St. Brewhouse

“The video captures the energy of our record release shows in London and Manchester this year. The nights were incredible—human pyramids, crowd surfing, and a whole bunch of singalongs made it really special.”

Photo by Chris Stockings

Photo by Steve Haddock