Bad Cop Bad Cop

Bad Cop Bad Cop’s upcoming fourth full-length, Lighten Up (Fat Wreck Chords/Hopeless Records, September 19, 2025), is a powerful reflection on resilience, vulnerability, and finding beauty amid life’s hardships. Led by guitarist-vocalist Stacey Dee alongside bassist-vocalist Linh Le, drummer-vocalist Myra Gallarza, and new guitarist Alex Windsor, the SoCal punk band channels hard-fought personal experiences into some of their most honest songwriting to date.

Themes of perseverance and transformation run throughout the record. Tracks like “Strugglinh,” “See Me Now,” and “Straight Out of Detox” confront self-doubt, grief, and recovery, while “Dead Friends” serves as an emotional centerpiece exploring loss and healing. Despite the weight of these subjects, the album ultimately embraces optimism and connection, echoing Dee’s message to “lighten up” and appreciate the beauty in life.

Written during intimate Sunday writing sessions filled with brunch, Prosecco, and collaboration, Lighten Up captures the band’s strongest sense of family and creative freedom yet. Recorded in Long Beach with producer Antoine Arvizu and longtime collaborators Migs and John E. Carey Jr., the album expands Bad Cop Bad Cop’s melodic punk roots into new territory, incorporating jazz, dub, and experimental influences while remaining deeply personal and authentic.