POISON RUÏN announce new album 'Härvest' + sign to Relapse Records

The Philly unit mark the start of a promising run characterized by its grit.

Photograph by Cecil Shang Whaley

Fast rising punk unit Poison Ruïn have now inked a record deal with the always consistent Relapse Records, who will see the release of the band's new album, Härvest, as well as a reissue of the band's self-titled (2021) debut. The band will bring their invigorating craft across the globe this year, making stops at SXSW, Roadburn, and the EU/UK, hammering audiences with their raw yet joyous and aggression. Lead single/title track Härvest is a rollercoaster of shifting tempos, influence, and intention as it was crafted as a metaphor for workers’ struggle. It's among the best thing you'll listen to this week in preparation for a grander, full-length to come.

Frontman Mac Kennedy comments:

“I’ve always found fantasy tropes to be incredibly evocative, even though they are a set of symbols that seem to speak to most people of our generation, they are often either apolitical or co-opted for incredibly backwards politics.” With Harvest’s lyrics and imagery, Kennedy reworks fantasy imagery as a series of totems for the downtrodden, stripping it of its escapist tendencies and retooling it as a rich metaphor for the collective struggle over our shared reality: “Instead of knights in shining armor and dragons, it’s a peasant revolt,” he explains, “I’m all for protest songs, but with this band I’ve found that sometimes your message can reach a greater audience if you imbue it with a certain interactive, almost magical realist element.”

Poison Ruïn Live Dates:

Mar 03 - 05: Austin, TX - This Is Austin Not That Great

Mar 06: San Antonio, TX - The Lonesome Rose

Mar 07: Houston, TX - White Swan

Mar 08: Dallas, TX - Double Wide

Mar 09: Tulsa, OK - Whittier Bar

Mar 10: Albuquerque, NM - Sister

Mar 11: Tempe, AZ - The Beast

Mar 14 - 18: Austin, TX - SXSW

Apr 13: Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's

Apr 15: Brooklyn, NY - Meadows

Apr 18: Antwerp, BE - Antwerp Music City

Apr 19: Tilburg, NL - Roadburn

Apr 20: Hamburg, DE - Komet

Apr 21: Leipzig, DE - ZxRx

Apr 22: Berlin, DE - Urban Spree

Apr 23: Prague, CZ - Underdogs Ballroom

Apr 25: Vienna, AT - Venster99

Apr 26: Linz, AT - Kapu

Apr 27: Zagreb, HR - Attack!

Apr 28: Bologna, IT - DEV

Apr 29: Parma, IT - Splinter Club

Apr 30: Innsbruk, AT - PMK

May 02: Geneve, CH - La Makhno

May 03: Marseille, FR - Molotov

May 04: Bilbao, ES - El Nido

May 05: Madrid, ES - Wurlitzer Ballroom

May 06: Barcelona, ES - Sala Vol

May 07: Toulouse, FR - Le Ravelin

May 09: Bristol, UK - Crown

May 10: Manchester, UK - The Gulliver

May 11: Glasgow, UK - The Old Hairdressers

May 12: Newcastle, UK - The Lubber Fiend

May 13: London, UK - New River Studios

May 14: Portsmouth, UK - The Loft

May 16: Paris, FR - Le Klub

May 17: Kortrijk, BE - The Pits

May 18: Nijmegen, NL - De Onderbroek

May 19: Nurnberg, DE - Projekt 31

May 20: Dresden, DE - Over The Edge

May 21: Weimar, DE - Gerber 3

Stream the title track below and pre-order Härvest.

'Härvest' (2023)