The Daily Drop (January 28th 2026)

Welcome to The Daily Drop, your roundup of the latest news from the rock, metal, punk, emo, hardcore, and alternative scenes. Today we’ve got new music and album announcements from The Xcerts, Joyce Manor, Karnivool, Held., Dead Pony, Sprints, and Tooth.

Here’s everything you need to know from January 28th 2026.

The Xcerts Return with ‘do it to myself’

Longtime Already Heard favourites, The Xcerts have returned with their first slice of new music in three years. ‘do it to myself’ sees the Brighton-based trio return with intent, returning to their pressing alt-rock sound.

“There’s a desperate urgency about this song,” says Murray Macleod. “It’s an admission of my fragility and tendency to self-sabotage when things aren’t good as they are. It’s a hard indie rock song, but the lyrics and vocal delivery are really vulnerable. That conflicting feeling was intentional – we wanted it to feel uncomfortable, honest, and human.”

The track also marks The Xcerts‘ first release on their new label home, FLG Records. More new music is expected in the coming months.

Joyce Manor Share ‘I Used To Go To This Bar’s Title Track

Ahead of its release this Friday (January 30th), Joyce Manor has shared the title track from ‘I Used To Go To This Bar.’

“The lyrics are a nostalgic look at a really unremarkable bar you used to go to when you were broke – the simplicity of your life when you had nothing going on, nothing to lose, and nothing fucking happening,” shared Joyce Manor frontman Barry Johnson. “I’m really proud of the lyrics, because they tell a really ordinary story, but with details that are heartbreaking.”

You can read our review of ‘I Used To Go To This Bar’ here.

Karnivool Preview New Album with ‘Animation’

With their eagerly anticipated new album, ‘In Verses’, set to be released next week (February 6th), Aussie prog rockers Karnivool have debuted a track called ‘Animation’.

Commenting on the track, the band said, “’Animation’ leans into a new space found within the rhythm section. It holds the pulse of ‘In Verses’ – tight, detailed, tense. It reflects the frustration, the renewal, and the search for light that runs through the record, all while staying true to our sound.”

Karnivool will return to the UK in May for shows in London (14th) and Manchester (15th).

Held. Team Up with Frank Iero for Debut Single (‘New You Anthem’)

Held., the new trio featuring both Douglas Robinson and Sal Mignano of The Sleeping and Josh Eppard from Coheed And Cambria, have revealed their debut single. ‘New You Anthem’ features guest vocals from Frank Iero.

“I wrote the idea for this song in my room. I was motivated to write something anthemic, not for the sake of being purely anthemic but more or less therapeutic for people who feel down all of the time,” vocalist/guitar player Douglas Robinson explains. “I feel this a lot in my life. It’s a heavy vibe I have to push through more times than not. I wanted to write something that encapsulates the feeling of any kind of love as survival. I reference different points of love throughout the song: music, friendship, sound, belief in yourself, and the desire for others to believe in you. It’s subtle, but it’s all there: ‘if our infection is loving, then we’re drinking up to the swell of the sun.’ I wrote this as an ode to people who love all elements in their lives with so much passion. Even if you feel yourself beaten and broken down every single day.”

The track will appear on their debut album, ‘Grey,’ which will be released on May 15th through MNRK Heavy.

New Dead Pony Single Released (‘Eat My Dust!’)

Anthemic Glaswegian rockers Dead Pony have returned with ‘Eat My Dust!’. It comes as they prepare to appear at this summer’s Slam Dunk Festival, and later All Points East, supporting Twenty One Pilots.

‘Eat My Dust!’ is described as a “rage-filled” track with Dead Pony‘s Blair Crichton (guitar/programming) explaining it “written about moving on from negative things in your past, bettering yourself and letting the haters choke on your dust cloud as you pass them.” He continues, “We had fun leaning into heavier influences on this song, the drums and guitar have a metalcore vibe to them which is something we want to explore more in the future. We’ve been through quite a transformational period over the last year and this felt like the perfect mission statement to come out with after some time away from releasing music.”

Sprints Unveil ‘Deceptacon’ Cover

Irish garage punks Sprints have followed up last September’s acclaimed ‘All That Is Over’ record with a cover of Le Tigre‘s classic dance punk track, ‘Deceptacon’.

“I’m not sure there’s a womxn in the world who plays guitar that hasn’t been inspired by Kathleen Hanna,” says vocalist Karla Chubb. “‘Deceptacon’ is a dance punk classic, a constant in the tour van, and a cover we used to throw into festival sets for fun. What better way to mark our return to the States and honour our love of US Punk than to release our little rendition of ‘Deceptacon.’”

Tooth Release Debut Single (‘The Age of Innocence’)

Rising London four-piece Tooth have released their debut single. ‘The Age of Innocence’ follows from a productive couple of years for the newcomers, having played festivals such as Live At Leeds, Sŵn, and Kendall Calling. They’ve also been picked up by Raw Power Management (Heartworms, Bring Me The Horizon) and signed to Soil To The Sun.

Tooth‘s sound blends anthemic US alternative, second-wave emo and garage rock.

“It was written almost as an epilogue for my adolescence,” vocalist/guitarist Tom Pollock commented on ‘The Age of Innocence’. “I was almost 18 and could feel this restless and confused teenage chapter of my life slowly coming to a close. I realised how clueless I was as a teenager, but also how much fun I’d had. I think the lyrics reflect that duality and fondly reminisce on a period of life that can’t be experienced again. I think, for all of us, this song felt like the start and the end of something indefinable.”

Today’s New Songs

Here’s a rundown of the latest additions to our ‘Newish Music’ playlist.

Joyce Manor – I Used To Go To This Bar
Arcane Roots – A Wave, Across The Sea
Karnivool – Animation
Held. – New You Anthem
Dream Fatigue – Spun
Bodysnatcher – The Maker
Sprints – Deceptacon
Twat Union – Pay Me More
Culture Clash – Sanitizer
Holly Head – No Country Is An Island
Këkht Aräkh – Three Winters Away
Nervosa – Slave Machine
Heavy Pettin – Faith Healer (Kill My Demons)
Billie Joe Armstrong – Heroes (feat. Jakob Armstrong)
Coach Party – Nurse Depression
GUV – Blue Jade
Masca – Diggin’

Keep up to date with all the latest rock, metal, punk, and beyond, by following AlreadyHeard’s ‘NewishMusic’ Playlist.

Find the playlist on Spotify and Apple Music.