Posts Tagged ‘Frenchy and the Punk’

Watch: ‘War on War’ by Frenchy and the Punk

Posted: 5 April 2026 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
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Post-Punk duo Frenchy and the Punk present their new video for the powerful and compelling single ‘War on War’, along with an announcement of spring 2026 tour dates. Playing up to 100 shows a year, the duo thrives on the road. Now they are set to bring that energy to dozens of cities across the Midwest and East Coast before heading overseas for select UK dates.

Torchbearers of a new era in post-punk, Frenchy and the Punk was formed in 2005 by vocalist, percussionist, keyboardist and lyricist Samantha Stephenson and guitarist-composer Scott Helland, co-founder of Deep Wound (with Dinosaur Jr. icons J Mascis and Lou Barlow) and Outpatients, and also known for his exceptional solo music project Guitarmy of One.

Frenchy and the Punk, listed in the ‘Top 25 US duos’ by Yahoo! Music, is a powerhouse duo with a distinct sound, blending post-punk with a touch of new wave by way of electro-acoustic hybrid guitars, loop pedals, fiery live acoustic and electronic percussion, synth and rich commanding vocals.

The powerful video for ‘War on War’ was filmed and edited by Samantha Stephenson in New York State. The single itself was mixed and mastered by William Faith (The Bellwether Syndicate, Faith and the Muse) at William Faith Music Production, with vocal recording and production at Kale Shelter Studios by Hillary Johnson, known for her work with Jeff Buckley, The Misfits, Rufus Wainwright, The Ramones, Nile Rodgers, Vernon Reid and more.

Following ‘Not Under Your Spell’, released at the end of 2025, this is the band’s second release through Distortion Productions, having signed to the label after label-head Jim Semonik saw their performance at Dark Force Fest, in New Jersey last summer.

“This song is not only about war but also the deterioration of truth and destruction of progress. It’s the belief that the majority of people in this country and the world do not want to go backwards and do not want to see bloodshed,” says Samantha Stephenson.

“It is the frustration that the few, fueled by greed and lust for power, who manipulate for their and their cronies’ advantage, cause such grief and destruction for the many. It is a call to voice opposition to the chaos and insanity. It is a call for unity beyond borders.”

A veteran of the US hardcore punk scene, Scott Helland has spent years honing a dynamic, high-impact performance style that now drives Frenchy and the Punk’s electrifying live presence and genre-blurring sound. Over the course of his music career, he has shared the stage with Black Flag, Husker Du, GBH, C.O.C, Agnostic Front and CroMags, in addition to performing with Dinosaur Jr. on occasion.

Samantha’s artistic expression came from a completely different place, having started in dance, piano and the visual arts. These two worlds collided forming a musical incarnation that moves effortlessly from bombastic and driving songs to atmospheric and almost transcendent soundscapes.

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Frenchy and the Punk – Come in and Play

Posted: 8 October 2022 in Singles and EPs
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6th October 2022

Christopher Nosnibor

Most Dinosaur Jr fans are aware of the prehistory – the band’s primordial swamps, or whatever, which saw the band emerge from she ashes of hardcore punk act Deep Wound, although significantly less seems to have been made of the band’s reunions in 2004 and 2013. But no matter – perhaps more should be being made of the work of Deep Wound’s less celebrated co-founder Scott Helland, who is one half of Frenchy and the Punk, along with Samantha Stephenson.

There’s no getting around it: it’s an awful name. Kinda corny, with connotations off Grease, it’s one of those monikers that’s so cliché It’s probably fictitious. But no, they’re real, very real, and according to their bio, ‘the duo thrive in their trademark blend of post-punk and dark folk music’. And they’ve been going for a while: their upcoming album, Zen Ghost will be their seventh long-player.

And that they do. ‘Come In and Play’ is pitched as an upbeat Siouxsie-esque delight, is the second enchanting single from their forthcoming Zen Ghost album, following the lead track ‘Mon Souvenir’. Their seventh long-player record, this will be released via the EA Recordings label on October 28th.

‘Come in and Play’ is layered, elegant, haunting fashion that combines elements of trad goth with folk, landing somewhere between Siouxsie, Skeletal family, and All About Eve. With picked acoustic guitar providing texture and detail, it’s driven by a solid bass groove. The overall feel is quite the contradiction – it’s an alternative rock song with a paired-back arrangement and quite spartan, brittle production that solidly recreates the essence of 1984.

On the surface, it’s a simple, song, but scratch to the next layer, and there’s plenty going on and then some, sonically, musically, and emotively. Stephenson’s vocal is outstanding, and the real attention-stealer here as she swoops and soars and switches from angelic drifting to a full-lunged expellation, while swiping various shades and stylistic elements in between.

‘Come in and Play’ is both haunting and confident. It’s one of those songs where you absorb the atmosphere more than you absorb any instant hook, and that’s ok – more than ok.

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