BAD WAITRESS Turn Isolation, Identity and Uncertainty Into Ten Tracks of Tension on New LP In The Hollow
Emerging from Toronto’s underground punk scene with 2018’s Party Bangers: Volume 1, Bad Waitress have built their reputation on chaotic energy, biting humour and an unapologetic disregard for expectations. Their 2021 album No Taste pushed their sound into heavier, more confrontational territory, earning praise from New Noise Magazine as an “all-out punk assault,” while Exclaim! described their evolution as “a new type of rage.” Since then, the band has shared stages with Jack White, Subhumans, Viagra Boys and Amyl and the Sniffers, bringing their explosive live performances to increasingly larger audiences without losing the unpredictability that made them stand out. However, their latest album, In The Hollow, isn’t interested in simply recreating the anger and aggression of their earlier work. Instead, it finds the band exploring a more introspective side of themselves, confronting the uncertainty that comes with growing older, changing relationships and realizing that the person you once were might not be the person you’ve become.
While In The Hollow still carries the band’s signature blend of noise, eccentricity and sharp-edged humour, there’s a deeper sense of vulnerability running beneath the surface. Rather than offering easy answers or neatly packaged moments of self-discovery, Bad Waitress embrace the messy reality of personal growth, recognizing that change often comes without closure or clarity. As the band explains, they hope the songs provide listeners with a space to process their own experiences while encouraging empathy for perspectives different from their own. Ultimately, In The Hollow captures a band comfortable enough with their identity to let it evolve, finding meaning in uncertainty rather than trying to escape it. It’s a record about letting go, looking inward and accepting that sometimes moving forward means leaving behind versions of ourselves we no longer recognize, all without sacrificing the rebellious spirit that made Bad Waitress who they are.
Five years can change a lot, and Toronto punk quartet Bad Waitress are embracing that change with their new full-length album, In The Hollow, out October 30 via Stomp Records. Self-produced and recorded with engineer Josh Korody at Wychwood Sound in Toronto, the ten-track project takes the band’s signature brand of chaotic punk and pushes it into darker, more experimental territory, blending jagged art-punk, post-punk and garage-rock influences with moments of unexpected vulnerability. Made up of Kali-Ann Butala, Katelyn Molgard, Moon and Nicole Cain, Bad Waitress have never been ones to play by the rules, drawing inspiration from the likes of L7, Babes In Toyland, Wire, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and METZ. However, In The Hollow finds the band looking inward, reflecting on several years of personal and collective isolation, changing relationships and the complicated realities of identity, gender, sexuality and personal growth. Inspired in part by memories of the Northwest Territories and Pacific Northwest, the album also introduces a darker, almost mystical atmosphere, using images of wilderness and isolation to capture the strange experience of leaving behind old versions of yourself without knowing exactly what comes next.
Throughout the album, Bad Waitress aren’t afraid to get messy, moving between explosive punk energy, dark humour and moments of surprising emotional honesty. Previously released singles “Lovin’ Kind” and “I Only Like You When I’m Drunk” dive into the complicated dynamics of attraction, resentment and relationships that probably should have ended a long time ago, while focus track “45” takes a more compassionate approach, telling the story of a flawed individual struggling to find his way. Elsewhere, “Galleria Shopping Centre” turns an ordinary shopping trip into a bizarre, intoxicated fever dream, while “The Hunt” embraces darker, more unsettling imagery. The title track introduces cello from Michael Peter Olson, adding another layer of tension to its bleak spiritual themes, before closing track “Low” brings everything to an emotionally vulnerable conclusion. At its core, In The Hollow is about accepting that people change, relationships fall apart and life rarely offers the closure we’re looking for. It’s a natural evolution for Bad Waitress, who haven’t lost any of the attitude, humour or chaotic energy that made them stand out in the first place, but are now finding new ways to channel those qualities into something a little more personal.
Make sure you check out In The Hollow on Spotify below and over on your favorite streaming platform!
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