Dolo Tonight is defining his own brand of “awkward anti-pop” with a coming-of-age concept album and a mission to bring fun back into music. The LA-by-way-of-New-Jersey artist, born Jonah Rinder, channels his offbeat energy into everything he does, whether he’s breaking the Guinness World Record for filming a music video at the highest-ever altitude or sneaking onto a high school campus to film a cast of elderly folks for a skit or sneaking onto a high school campus to film a cast of elderly folks for a music video. With millions of views on TikTok and a fanbase that appreciates the unconventional, Dolo crafts vibrant, genre-bending tracks inspired by indie pop greats like Phoenix and Passion Pit, all delivered with a colorful, tongue-in-cheek twist. Dolo knows exactly who he’s making music for: the weirdos, the outcasts, and anyone who’s ever felt like an awkward outsider. His infectious choruses and playful lyrics (about everything from crocheting animal sweaters to drunken cake runs at Wawa) reflect his belief that music should be as fun and authentic as possible. “I’m just a weird, fun dude. I love writing weird lyrics,” he says. “I just like saying weird sh*t.” That authenticity shines on his debut album DVD Rental Store, released via Epitaph Records. It’s a nostalgia-inducing, coming-of-age journey packed with bold anthems and buoyant chords. The project, produced with JUNO Award-winner Ryan Spraker, marks a sonic evolution for Dolo, who learned to let go of genre and perfectionism in the studio and embrace his full creative spirit. Inspired by the lost era of video stores, DVD Rental Store plays like a series of vignettes; With stories of underdogs (“Varsity Lip”), heartbreak (“Hate You Now”), friendship (“Two Pens”), and breaking free from expectations (“Live Your Life”). Dolo’s friends helped to shape the album’s visuals and voice skits, adding another layer of authenticity. At its core, Dolo’s music is an invitation: “You’re allowed to have fun. Let yourself have fun!”
SPIRIT!, the third LP from HUNNY, is all about embracing the weird. It’s an album born from uncertainty and built on instinct – a testament to breaking free, starting over and blocking out the external noise. Now solely the project of longtime frontman Jason Yarger, HUNNY has shed its past shape to become something more fully itself. Fundamentally, the Epitaph-released SPIRIT! doesn’t reinvent the wheel for HUNNY as much as it keeps it rolling forward on a blend of hooky post-punk, gleaming synths and shout-along choruses. Yarger wrote and recorded the album almost entirely in his LA home studio, emptying his voice memos and Notes app of in-the-moment observationalism and off-the-cuff inspiration – all combining to strike the perfect balance between irreverent humor and indie-rock chic. It’s yet another chameleonic turn for HUNNY, long known for shapeshifting through genres and decades with style on fan favorites like 2019’s Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. and 2023’s new planet heaven – all while still sounding unmistakably like itself. For Yarger, the process of making SPIRIT! ultimately marks a pivotal shift, not just creatively, but in how he envisions the future of HUNNY. Free from compromise, he’s able to follow his instincts, allowing his music to unfold in unexpected ways. “I'm trying to be less precious with my songwriting,” he says. “I don't want anything to sound like HUNNY at this point – or, I simultaneously want nothing and everything to sound like HUNNY.”