wakelee

Wakelee’s second album, under construction forever, arrives October 9, 2026 via Wax Bodega. Written across piecemeal sessions and retreats to the Catskills, the record finds the Brooklyn trio leaning into a more emotionally expansive and experimental version of their indie rock, emo, and alternative sound.

Longtime collaborator Zach Aumueller guided the album, with additional production from Hot Mulligan guitarist Chris Freeman. Across its 11 songs, wakelee draw from influences including Jimmy Eat World, Hotline TNT, This Is Lorelei, Modest Mouse, Wilco, Momma, and Aphex Twin, pairing stadium-sized swells and atmospheric arrangements with the everyday details that have always grounded their writing.

Lead single “Joyce Kilmer Service Area” brings driving guitars, a blistering chorus, the first d-beat in a wakelee song, and a cathartic look at familial strain and the fallout of watching someone you love struggle to hold themselves together. The track takes its name from the New Jersey Turnpike rest stop between New York and Philadelphia.