False Tracks - When Fortune Feeds SM080

False Tracks formed in 2016 and released their debut full-length Hymn for Terror in 2024 on Strange Mono. Veterans of the Philadelphia and Washington D.C. indie pop and punk scenes, the members have previously played in The Ropers, Lilys, The Snow Fairies, Pink Skull, Royal Shoals, Last Wave, and The Vexers. Drawing on years of experience and collaboration, False Tracks create tightly structured, melodic post-punk songs built on atmospheric guitars and driving rhythm.

Firm believers that the first thought is the best thought, the band applies this idea directly to their songwriting. What began as an opportunity for old friends to make music together under a single rule, no songs over two minutes, quickly evolved into something larger. The band admits that shortly after the first demo, that rule was broken, and they have continued expanding their sound ever since.

Between Hymn for Terror and their newest recording When Fortune Feeds, False Tracks describe having “climbed out of the uncanny valley only to see its double in the next ravine.” The new material finds the group’s protagonists confronting the instability of modern life. “ In this album, the protagonists of the songs are coming to grips with this harsh and expanding unreality. We have written them into the same leaky horror boat that we all share.,” they explain. The result is music that reflects endurance and persistence, channeling both unease and a dry wit in the face of unraveling realities.

Recording took place with Philadelphia artist and producer Dan Angel, whom the band calls a “local artist, rhythmist, and warlock.” His studio, hidden within an industrial warren, set the tone for the sessions. “You can hear this space in the songs,” they say, pointing to the room’s lofty ceilings, a foot-pump reed organ, the sound of tape running through the reels, and even the distant sirens of Germantown.”All of us, including Dan, went into this space with open minds and crafted every piece together.“ The group balanced attention to detail with “the raw impressionism of the moment”, creating what they describe as “a sincere company of friends making music.”

Over the past year, False Tracks have performed throughout the East Coast, supporting bills with DC punk legends Scream, progressive folk-rock outfit Whisper States, and labelmates from Strange Mono. Highlights include their tour with Flash Hits, a standout show at the Khyber with Sandcastle, Fantastic Imagination, and Long Spells, and the Strange Mono Showcase over the summer, where the band performed alongside a wide range of fellow artists in what they call “a punk pastoral setting.”
credits
released December 5, 2025

False Tracks is Jayme Guokas, Mike Hammel, Greg Pavlovcak, and Jamie Wilson

Recorded with Dan Angel in Philadelphia 2025

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Vamos Juntos is a community-led, Latine immigrant organization in South Philadelphia fighting for our human rights as workers, parents, youth, and immigrants.
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