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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 is excited to share their first new album in over eight years, BFM, available everywhere now via Houston’s tastemaking Rite Field Records. Channeling their characteristic blend of the melodic and the melancholy, songwriters Alejandro Skalany and Matt Seferian, along with bandmate and hometown friend Atticus Lopez, spin tales of optimism, grief, and growth across thirteen new tracks. BFM captures a band embracing a new era of life, equipped with their addictive, soaring riffs and lyrics that linger long after the record ends.
About the album release, Matt Seferian says, “This is our first big release in a while, and a lot of life has happened since the last one. We’ve grown up, we’ve moved, we’ve moved back, gotten married, broken up, lost friends and family, gained new friends too, and some of these songs predate COVID. It feels cathartic to finally let go of some of these songs and be able to take a step back and look at all of these moments in time and move on from them. It feels like starting over for us, too, in a lot of ways. Sonically, there are some sounds that longtime listeners will feel at home with, but we’ve also explored some new territory to show how we’ve grown as songwriters and music lovers. There’s a little bit of everything we love here.”
LISTEN TO BFM
A jampacked double single arrived last week 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.
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 “SICK MINUTE”
LISTEN TO “JOHN THOMAS”
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. On May 15, they’ll play No Dice in New Orleans, LA, with Aubrey Jane and Noa Jamir. More shows will be announced soon. To stay in the loop on upcoming performances, follow Pope on Instagram at @popetheband.
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