The Daily Drop: May 5th 2026

Welcome to The Daily Drop, your roundup of the latest news from the rock, metal, punk, emo, hardcore, and alternative scenes.

Today’s round-up sees us catching up on recent news. It includes the latest names announced for Outbreak Fest. On the singles front, pop-punk veterans Mayday Parade teased the final part of their anniversary album trilogy, Essex punk duo The Meffs delivered a politically charged new cut from their forthcoming record, and French post-rock collective Hanry shared another preview of their new album. Portland twinkly-punk outfit Swiss Army Wife announced their new LP ‘I Love You, But I Hate It Here’ alongside its lead single, while A-Tota-So returned with their latest.

Here’s everything you need to know from the past few days.

Joyce Manor, Loathe, Algernon Cadwallader & More Confirmed for Outbreak Fest Manchester

Outbreak Fest has added a new wave of names to their Manchester 2026 edition, now in its 15th year, with the three-day event taking place 26th–28th June at Manchester’s B.E.C. Arena.

The latest additions span all three days. California punks Joyce Manor return to Outbreak on the Friday, bringing tracks from their critically acclaimed recent album ‘I Used To Go To This Bar’, joined on the bill by Philadelphia math-emo veterans Algernon Cadwallader, making their first appearance at the festival.

Saturday sees UK alternative heavyweights Loathe confirmed for the day Alexisonfire headline, the Liverpool band arriving fresh off the announcement of their first new album in six years, ‘A Stranger To You’. Joining them are New York punk experimentalists Lip Critic, Australian punk/hip hop trio Shady Nasty, hotly-tipped post-hardcore newcomers I Promised The World on their first visit to the UK, Northampton’s thistle., and UK grunge newcomers East Exchange.

Fast-rising shoegaze act Midrift round out the new additions, joining Sunday’s lineup for the day Basement headline, bringing music from their forthcoming album, ‘Silhouette’.

Over 95% of weekend tickets are sold out. Remaining tickets are available from outbreakfest.co.uk.

Mayday Parade Tease Third Album in Trilogy with ‘Blame It On The Youth’

Pop-punk veterans Mayday Parade have released ‘Blame It On The Youth’, an anthemic teaser for the third and final instalment of their trilogy album series.

It’s a vibrant and energetic offering from the Tallahassee, Florida band. It was built around a chorus written by drummer Jake Bundrick, with the rest of the band developing it from there. “Jake came in with this amazing song that we were all drawn to. We knew instantly it was important to get the track right but we really just had a solid chorus and loose verse melodies so the band quickly got to work constructing multiple versions of lyrics to finish the track. We worked together in a way that was truly collaborative and with the process feel we created something we are all super proud of,” shared guitarist Brooks Betts.

Throughout 2025, Mayday Parade celebrated their 20th anniversary. It saw them release two albums, ‘Sweet’ in April and ‘Sad’ in October. ‘Blame It On The Youth’ indicates the third and final part of the album trilogy isn’t far away.

Swiss Army Wife Detail New Album ‘I Love You, But I Hate It Here’ & Share ‘Emergency Contact’

Portland “twinkly-punk” outfit Swiss Army Wife have announced their second full-length, ‘I Love You, But I Hate It Here’, due June 12th on We’re Trying Records, sharing its lead single, ‘Emergency Contact’, at the same time.

The record follows the band’s 2023 debut ‘Medium Gnarly’, which drew comparisons to You Blew It! and Free Throw , cementing them as a name to watch in the emo scene. Where the debut focused on emotional specificity, ‘I Love You, But I Hate It Here’ broadens the lens to the systemic: a record shaped by the realities of abortion bans, overdose, gender dysphoria, climate grief, and economic precarity.

‘Emergency Contact’ is a love song written in defiance of a world hostile to the concept. It lurches between dark humour and raw sincerity, with the lyric “give your last name to me / so when your body falls apart / I can still hold on to something” turning intimacy into something closer to survival. Hushed verses open into triumphant choruses, the emotional whiplash entirely the point.

The Meffs Drop New Single ‘Disorder (Wake Up)’

The second preview of The Meffs‘ second album, ‘Business,’ has arrived. ‘Disorder (Wake Up)’ is out now via FLG ahead of the September 11th LP release, and its video features cameos from Frank Turner, Itchy, Bad Cop Bad Cop, and Booze & Glory.

With the album being described by the Essex punk duo as their most politically charged writing to date. ‘Disorder (Wake Up)’ makes that clear. Lily Hopkins and Lewis Copsey say: “We should be angry that we live in a world where people need to seek asylum, not angry at the people seeking asylum. The establishment want to cause division, they want us to argue between ourselves, because it takes eyes off of them. People are fighting for their rights and their lives, they’re being displaced, and it’s fucking tragic, yet the narrative is that it’s those people’s fault that you can’t get a job or afford fuel. Wake up. We’re not the enemy and nor are you.”

The single arrives as the band is currently out supporting Stiff Little Fingers across the UK. They’ll also join Joan Jett & The Blackhearts on her first UK headline tour in 16 years this July.

May
30th O2 Academy Islington, London
June
4th The LCR, Norwich *
6th North West Calling, Manchester
11th The Brook, Southampton
July
2nd O2 Academy, Glasgow ^
4th Academy, Manchester ^
5th O2 Academy, Leeds ^
7th University of Wolverhampton at the Civic Hall, Wolverhampton ^
8th British Airways ARC, London ^
August
5th Bootleg Social, Blackpool
September
5th The Foundry Burn It Down, Torquay
October
3rd North East Calling, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne
20th The Picturedome, Holmfirth *
22nd Mandela Hall, Belfast *
23rd Vicar Street, Dublin *
24th Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow *
29th York Barbican, York *
30th Venue, Llandudno *
November
19th Rock City, Nottingham *
20th The Prospect Building, Bristol *
* w/ Levellers
^ w/ Joan Jett & The Blackhearts

Hanry Previews New Album with ‘Her Crown, Her Empire’

‘Her Crown, Her Empire’ is the third single from French post-rock collective Hanry‘s new album ‘What Came From Silence’, due May 29th via Pelagic Records.

Having already demonstrated a contrast between delicate ambient passages and distortion-heavy climaxes, ‘Her Crown, Her Empire’ adds a layer of introspection to that. Through its shifting dynamics, the quintet patiently build to a weighty conclusion.

New A-Tota-So Single Released (‘Form of Mass’)

Noisy alt-rockers A-Tota-So have shared their second single of the year, ‘Form of Mass’. Released through bUTTONpUSHER, it follows ‘Death Rattle,’ which came out in March.

Like the latter, it sees Marty Toner handling vocal duties with a jagged musical backdrop. The blend of twiddly guitars and a driving rhythm section supports Toner’s words of living in a world of constant stress. “Form of Mass is about how the world feels like it’s falling apart around us right now, and we’re all constantly waiting for things to change for the better, but they never do, so we’re stuck in a never-ending cycle of anxiety and stress because we can’t really do anything to change the way things are,” A-Tota-So‘s guitarist and vocalist explains. “We tried to keep this song as upbeat as possible, even with its negative connotations. Maybe someday things will get better and we’ll look back on these dark days and just think WTF was that?”

A-Tota-So will be playing a small run of shows later this month, before more shows in July and September.

May
15th The Library, Oxford
16th Fuel, Cardiff
17th The Exchange, Bristol
July
17th The Blind Pig, Sowerby Bridge
18th Summer Bash, Reading
September
5th Mangata Festival, Nottingham
24th Aatma, Manchester *
25th The Carousel, Nottingham *
26th Wharf Chambers, Leeds *
27th The Old Blue Last, London *
* w/ Poptones

Today’s New Songs

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

Mayday Parade – Blame It On The Youth
Honey Revenge – Run Your Mouth
The Meffs – Disorder (Wake Up)
Hollywood Undead – All My Friends featuring Jeris Johnson
Delta Sleep – UNREAD
A-Tota-So – Form Of Mass
TX2 – Pickup Truck
Sparta – Everything You Say
Unwell – Airless (Fantasy Edition)
Dark Divine – Fading Away
Dirty Heads – Better
Dirty Heads – Sound Boy Killa
James and the Cold Gun – Split Second
Colorblind – Pressure
Swiss Army Wife – Emergency Contact
Hanry – Her Crown, Her Empire
Erik Grönwall – Praying For A Miracle
Throatcut – Moloch
Disfiguring The Goddess – Low Slam Low
Cut Short – Unrequited
Trash n’ Privilege – Best That You’re Dead
Toy Car – April
Bugeye – These Walls Will Fall
TheBoyShadow – Bliss Being
Rising Insane – DEATHRACE
The Zaxons – Keswick Cutouts
Among Legends – H/A/C/K
Lake Acacia – Tear You Down
Leaking Head – Safe (Nap Time)
Chico – Too Late

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

Find the playlist on Spotify and Apple Music.