New Music: Tina Fey – Dead In a Boat

Once I got past the ‘wait, what?!’ of the band’s name, I had an equally whiplash-inducing moment once I first heard Dead In a Boat.

A loud and abrasive mix of noise and hardcore punk, its quiet interludes seem induced by the gravity of the arrangement and lyrics collapsing in on themselves. The band has been referred to as ‘experimental grindcore,’ and that is an apt, slightly terrifying, description.

Clocking in at over four minutes certainly sets it apart from most grindcore, and the less chaotic moments strike similar notes to Einstürzende Neubauten or Throbbing Gristle, pushing what you expect from even experimental rock. Dead In a Boat won’t be to everyone’s taste, but if you try it, I’m certain you’ll like it and the band’s forthcoming Victory Lap LP.

Says the band about the track’s origins, “This is currently the oldest surviving Tina Fey song, written when we were a two-piece (Logan and Shon). It’s really about experiencing a never-ending cycle of failure, with no benefit or payout. Not that any of us have ever experienced that, but it feels that way sometimes. What if?”

The add, “[Dead In a Boat] was actually recorded and named by Jim Marlowe. It’s poor practice, but we never name any of our songs or write lyrics until the exact final moment when we have no other choice. Most of the tracks on [Victory Lap] just have stand-in names as a formality. We didn’t know what to call them. Jim saved this one as Dead in a Boat in the studio, so we kept it.”

Victory Lap is out on the 1st of May, 2026, via Mishap Records, in vinyl and digital formats – head to Bandcamp or Instagram for details.