For fans of: Anthemic alternative, hyper pop, infectious melodies and lyricism with twists of rock, indie and hip-hop.
I’ll be honest, I’m not an easy sell when it comes to new music — like, at all. It usually takes weeks of listening (if I even get to that step) — and some type of mutual vouch, recommendation or personal experience with the artist — for them to really grab me. Lo and behold, meet People R Ugly — the bubbly, honest alt pop band who won me over almost instantly. Their multifaceted sound hits a rare sweet spot between catchy and chaotic: radio-ready bangers wrapped in a playful and familiar (but not too familiar) energy. No two songs sound alike — not even an ounce, which solidifies PRU’s distinctive and inimitable sound. Every track both new and old stands out on its own, blending elements of indie, alt, pop, and hip-hop into something that just feels fresh, but also feels like home. As someone who grew up in the peak of Y2K culture, PRU embodies countless components of what made that era of music so appealing to us back then. Their genre-blurring identity wears a plethora of nametags, all layered into an adaptive and remarkable work of art.
Based in SoCal, members Zak Dossi, Bill Biers, Julian Del Grosso, and Tristan Kevitch boast quite the lore. Their story started the way great ones usually do: with absolutely nothing but delusion, drive, and a little luck. Drummer Tristan Kevitch spent two years cold-calling venues around LA, pitching a band that didn’t even exist at the time. No songs, no name, just a dream. One day, his dream venue, The Whisky A Go-Go, finally said yes. With five days to make it happen, Tristan linked up with Zak, Bill and Julian all via Instagram — and just like that, People R Ugly were born. They actually sold out that very first show… with a YouTube video documenting the whirlwind (thanks to Seek Discomfort) that has since racked up nearly half a million views.
Fast forward to present day, things have only grown bigger. The band’s addictive sound and magnetic stage energy has taken them from LA clubs to sold-out venues across the country. They’ve landed spins on major radio, SiriusXM, performed at iHeartRadio’s NYC Jingle Ball pre-show, and built an online presence that’s nothing short of insane: 12M+ streams, 1.7M YouTube views, 300K TikTok followers, and 17M+ Shorts views just last month alone. Their top video? A casual 36 million views.
This past summer proved just how unstoppable PRU’s momentum is as the band tore through festivals across the country: Bonnaroo, Warped Tour in DC, Summerfest, and a viral Lollapalooza set that packed out the BMI Stage. Complete with a surprise cameo from Plain White T’s frontman Tom Higgenson, this set had festival goers buzzing — but, the surprises didn’t stop there. Last month, the band dropped a collaboration with Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus in the music video for “WAKE UP,” which premiered exclusively via Rolling Stone. Next on tap: the band is heading back to Warped Tour in Orlando this November, with newly released material that is setlist-ready.
When I met up with People R Ugly at their garage studio, it felt less like an editorial assignment and more like hanging out with old friends. We talked about their brand new album,GARAGE, as well as their lives (both past and present), the welcomed chaos that fuels their music, and what’s next on their horizon — all while snapping photos in between a lot of laughter. PRU’s aura is infectious: they’re goofy, genuine, and clearly just as much like brothers as they are bandmates. Everything about them just clicks — the chemistry, the humor, the honesty, the musical skill set and creativity— and it only made me further adore their music after getting to know the personas behind PRU.
People R Ugly’s sound has this wild duality that’s complex and layered, but somehow feels completely effortless. Every song, though wildly different from each other, flows smoothly — an obvious result of the guys’ genuine chemistry and natural instinct. The transitions snap, the hooks send you into a frenzy, and the imaginative audio engineering hits in all the right places at the right times. Their sound is detailed, dynamic, and full of personality — evidence that when talent clicks this naturally, the magic just happens.
Our influences are very sporadic, and we take inspiration anywhere from niche internet artists to 2000s era rock bands to even hip-hop and R&B. To name a few we love: BROCKHAMPTON, The Strokes, Underscores, Tyler The Creator… the list can really go on all day. What brings us all together musically is discovering interesting (new or old) artists together and trying to capture those energies in our writing and production. — PEOPLE R UGLY on what shapes their sound.
Before receiving an advance of GARAGE, I’d already been head over heels for PRU’s previously released music. I knew that whatever was coming next had to be this good, if not better — and it was — but before diving into that, let’s highlight a few of my picks prior to GARAGE:
“JUST FRIENDS” has become my go-to belter — it comes in hot, packing the punch from start to finish, with power chords and a true, angsty yet fearless garageband feel that will instantly headbanging. “BRAINDEAD” is a viral hit that shakes it up with a broad range of genre influences and a ton of fun pop culture references in the lyrics. Detouring with a must-mention of “DUMB” — a versatile ode to sounds of the 1950s which showcases the band’s true ability to mesh a sock-hop bash with a modern adaptation. “Deep End” makes its mark with an uplifting and charismatic chorus (despite the actual lyrics) — something you’d listen to cruising with the top down to clear your head.
Nothing hits like an old-fashioned power-pop rock song (think “Stacy’s Mom” and similar) — enter “Get Over It” — a validating anthem with satisfying lyrics that declare, “you should build a bridge and get over it.” Lastly, “A Sad Sad Song” — one for the pop punk lovers without a doubt. Hints of traditional early-pop punk bands like Blink 182, MxPx and Fenix TX soar in this one, guaranteed to bring you back to Warped Tour 2001.
Just released today via Verswire, GARAGE is a full-throttle ride through every emotion on the dial, literally. The album’s radio-flipping aesthetic ties everything together, giving it that nostalgic, channel-surfing vibe with a subtle, modern edge. It’s like tuning into a different world with every track, yet somehow it all fits — a little quirky, captivating, and undeniably PRU.
This project is unlike anything we’ve ever made before. We had a blast experimenting, messing around, and pushing ourselves in new directions, and we couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. We hope it makes you laugh, cry, dance, mosh, and maybe even smile at a surprise feature you won’t see coming. — PEOPLE R UGLY
Straight out of 2003, “BETTER” is an absolute banger inspired by YoungBloodZ and Lil Jon’s “Damn!” — and admittedly, my favorite. It takes serious skills to fuse together a wide array of past and present elements and still keep it sounding original. The millennial nostalgia was instantly reawakened upon listening.
“DOULOVEME” is another instant attention grabber that will make you swoon and dance at the same time. Buckle up and be prepared to have the feel-good “la da da da da” chorus of “SLEEP TALKING” stuck in your head all day. With verses that remind us a bit of The Strokes and other staple indie sounds, this track is offers a dynamic switch-up that we can’t stop humming.
A handful of other cuts from GARAGE continue to ooze bright, indie rock such as “PUNCHING BAG” — a bouncy melody drenched in frustration and melancholy. It captures the hollow ache of manuevering life as someone’s emotional punching bag. “F#€K IT (I’LL BE OKAY)” is another track that is instrumentally and vocally stylized adjacent to Arctic Monkeys with standout guitar work that naturally shines. Additionally, “STUPID” is jam packed with guitar solos and fretwork for days.
“WAKE UP” is a vibrant, yet somewhat mellow track that opens with a beautiful intro reminiscent of Ed Sheeran that repeats again as the chorus, then stacks verses that are uniquely PRU. The track cycles around to a dreamy slowed-down bridge (think Sleep Token, but pop) followed by cinematic strings that carry you off into temporary oblivion before fading out into the next track… a close runner up in my top picks.
While a handful of tracks on GARAGE share a common undertone of some sort, there are a few that truly are standalone gems. “DAYLIGHT” — This one is for my late 2000s and 2010s lovers, where EDM slipped into almost every genre imaginable. The electronic elements really anchor this as a prominent track amongst the rest and offers an unexpected switch-up to the tracklist. “THINKIN BOUT YOU” — Take Outkast, run it back a smidge slower and overlay the PRU signature pop meets hip-hop verse and VOILA — you’ve got a contagious track with a bridge with a sliver of Bruno Mars and Frank Ocean.
“OUTSIDE INTERLUDE” and “OUTSIDE FREESTYLE” are both a sharp left turn from the GARAGE umbrella of alt niches. This back-to-back pair of songs crackle with Beastie Boys energy — modernized through a Joey Valence & Brae meets Tyler The Creator lens. It’s hip-hop swagger mashed up with melodic mayhem, and it’ll have you feeling like a total badass.
Blast to the past with “EL CAMINO” — a classic, truly old school punk inspired track with a speedy tempo that melts impeccably into a feature from Sublime’s Jakob Nowell — who embodies the timeless sound of his late father, who fronted the band for almost a decade. This track is truly remarkable, not just because of Jakob’s cameo, but how it perfectly captures that undeniable rawness of punk and DIY spirit without feeling dated.
GARAGE feels like the beginning of something much bigger, a treasure chest that not only captures their chaotic charm but puts them on the world’s radar as one of the most exciting acts to shape the next wave of alt music. Looking ahead, the band already has their sights set on more dream collaborations — artists like Joey Valence & Brae, JPEGMAFIA, Kevin Abstract, and Mk.gee top their musical wishlist, but their ambitions stretch far beyond the studio. They’d love to team up with creative forces like director Jeff Tremaine or Eric Andre, and even dream of launching a collaborative shoe or clothing line with Vans — a perfect fit for their rebellious enthusiasm.
There’s a lot more on the horizon for People R Ugly — and it’s clear they’re only just getting started. They’ve already started checking off bucket-list ambitions, having locked in two of their dream collaborators, and their momentum shows no signs of slowing down. From Zak’s garage in Orange County to sold-out festival stages, PRU are living proof that passion, grit, and a little bit of madness can turn wild vision into reality. If GARAGE is their hard launch, the future’s about to get loud.