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For Immediate Release
April 17, 2026
POPE PUT THEIR BEST FOOT FORWARD
WITH “SICK MINUTE” AND “JOHN THOMAS” - LISTEN
“SICK MINUTE” FEATURES JULIA STEINER OF RATBOYS,
“JOHN THOMAS” FINDS THE NEW ORLEANS TRIO STRIPPING THINGS BACK
DOUBLE SINGLE PREVIEWS THE BAND’S FIRST NEW ALBUM
IN OVER EIGHT YEARS - PRE-ORDER
BFM, ARRIVES APRIL 30, 2026, VIA RITE FIELD RECORDS
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Photo Credit: Izze Thompson [Download Hi-Res]
“This kind of lo-fi indie rock provides unlikely escapist pleasure.”
- PITCHFORK
“The kind of urgently whispered, tunefully depressive guitar jam that'll stick in your head.”
- STEREOGUM
“Pope make music that packs a lot of complexity and intricacy into a very nice
and clear ‘pop’ package.”
- VICE
“Pope remains a crucial voice in their community’s scene.”
- POST TRASH
“The crunchy guitar work, layers of fuzz and slack-as-hell vocals.”
- OFFBEAT
“Catchy, relatable, with riffs in all the right places.”
- ANTIGRAVITY MAGAZINE
New Orleans, LA rock band Pope continues to preview their first album in over eight years, BFM, available on April 30, 2026, via Houston’s tastemaking Rite Field Records. A jampacked double single arrives today in the form of the laid back “John Thomas” and optimistic “Sick Minute,” the latter of the songs featuring Julia Steiner from the Chicago band Ratboys. Both songs show off Pope’s emotional inclinations, portraying deep optimism and inspiration, even in moments of desperation and exhaustion. Melodic riffs tear through the tracks, with the band’s endlessly memorable lyrics anchoring the mood.
“‘Sick Minute’ is about trying your hardest, just because it’s always good to give it your best shot,” Matt Seferian says. “That there’s something super special about giving it all you got. That you’re not replaceable and that no one can be you, so don’t let the haters get to you.”
“‘John Thomas’ was inspired by the song ‘Possibilities’ by the Glands,” Alex Skalany explains. “Matt and I love a lot of lo-fi music, and more low-key tender moments on albums. I sent Matt that song and said I wish we had a song like this on the record. Wrote this in an attempt to create a moment like that on this record, and it turned out to be a personal favorite on the record. We used acoustic guitar and drum machines, and there's a little bit of electric, too. We tried to keep it really bedroomy and vibey. Lyrically its about the same sorts of topics that show up throughout the record. Just fatigue and tiredness. The desperation for something different. Living with yourself and your monsters, etc.”
LISTEN TO “SICK MINUTE”
LISTEN TO “JOHN THOMAS”
PRE-ORDER BFM
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[Download Hi-Res Double Single Artwork]
Last month, the band released “Make You Feel,” which is driven by hard-hitting drums and ringing guitars that emit frustration and grief. Vocal harmonies fill the spaces in between with chords that are wise, glimmering, and whole. A profound track, different sonic elements layer and coalesce to soundtrack the emotional complexity that comes with navigating loss. The song abruptly ends with audio from “from a legendary show hosted by our lost friend,” according to bandleader Matt Seferian. The sample plays like an allegory for both the shock that grief can bring and the legacy that a person can leave. The song was premiered via FLOOD Magazine, which described BFM as “seeing the group continue to balance grunge riffs and breezier elements of power-pop while tackling some of their most difficult lyrical themes.”
Earlier this year, Pope released “Newboi” with the announcement of BFM. Wielding undeniable hooks and catchy riffs, “Newboi” is a song that captures the frustration of being stuck in negative cycles: making the same mistakes over and over, but still, somehow, feeling unable to change.
LISTEN TO “MAKE YOU FEEL”
LISTEN TO “NEWBOI”
BFM marks Pope’s first album since their 2017 album, True Talent Champion. The upcoming record finds the three-piece at their most experienced and locked in yet, an inward reckoning and a homecoming, tracing the band’s journey from their Houston beginnings to the community that shaped them in New Orleans. Opening with cycles of stagnation and self-doubt, the record gradually turns toward connection, resilience, and release, letting each song feel like a response to the last. Along the way, grief, community, and self-worth surface through warm melodies, lo-fi detours, and moments of raw vulnerability that reflect years of shared history between the three friends. Guided only by what feels honest, Pope sounds more patient and emotionally grounded than ever. Featuring vocals from Julia Steiner of Ratboys and keys from Tyler Scurlock of Sleigh Bells, BFM feels like the band returning to the place where it all began, carrying everything they’ve learned back to the moment friendship became a future.
Over the past decade, Pope has shared the stage with bands like They Are Gutting A Body of Water, Alex G, MJ Lenderman, Mitski, Wednesday, Momma, and many more. More shows will be announced soon. To stay in the loop on upcoming performances, follow Pope on Instagram at @popetheband.
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POPE
BFM
RITE FIELD RECORDS
Release Date: April 30, 2026
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[Download Hi-Res]
1. Song Two
2. Newboi
3. Sick Minute
4. Point of View
5. Make You Feel
6. No One (Kiss for a Treat)
7. Nothing for Nothing
8. SOLU
9. Town
10. Good Enough
11. Back to the Center
12. John Thomas
13. Underdawg
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ABOUT POPE:
Pope began in Houston, where three friends met, grew up a little, and learned that making music together felt like the most honest thing they could do. Those early days built a bond that never really loosened, even as life shifted and pulled them toward new cities and responsibilities.
They later made New Orleans home, and that is where Pope became something people paid attention to. The shows got better. The writing got sharper. The community around them kept growing. It started to feel like the band they hoped it could be back when they were first figuring out who they were.
The music still comes from that same place: guitars that carry emotion forward, melodies that stay with you longer than expected, and lyrics that know when to say less. Matt Seferian and Alex Skalany share the writing in a way that feels natural, each leaving space for the other. Atticus Lopez keeps the pulse steady, making sure the heart of the song is never lost.
Eventually, Pope stepped away from the stage, but not from the band. They kept writing and recording on their own time with no pressure to prove anything. The songs continued to show up, and that was enough to know this wasn’t finished.
BFM, arriving April 30, 2026, via Rite Field Records, carries the confidence of a band that understands exactly why they are still here. The music is patient, emotional, and built on years of trust - a continuation of what started in Houston and strengthened in New Orleans. Returning to a Houston-based label feels right. It returns the story to the moment the friendship became a band and the band first felt like a future.
Pope returns with the songs that brought them home.
ABOUT RITE FIELD RECORDS:
Rite Field Records is a boutique music consultancy and record label devoted to independent artists and archival releases, spanning alternative, emotional, post-hardcore and everything in between - all part of the same pulse.
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CONNECT WITH POPE:
BANDCAMP | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK
CONNECT WITH RITE FIELD RECORDS:
WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | BANDCAMP | YOUTUBE
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