In recent years, Welsh duo the Bug Club — Tilly Harris (bass, vocals) and Sam Willmett (vocals, guitar) — have been on a prolific tear, and in the process they’ve built up a lot of love from the segment of Bandcamp users at the intersection of revved-up punk and catchy, ramshackle indie-pop, as well as from tastemakers like BBC 6 Music’s Marc Riley. A press release today boasts that the band has “released ten singles, two albums, two EPs, three things nobody knew how to describe, and an album under a different band’s name, all since 2021, and while playing 200+ gigs a year.” That hard work has now paid off in a record deal with Sub Pop, who are sharing the band’s new single “Quality Pints” today.

Quality Pints is a wild two-minute rager that reminds me of the Buzzcocks and the Vaselines. It’s all about something the band has surely experienced during all that touring: the search for a decent beer in various cities around the world. In addition to the explosive punk-rock energy, the song has a hip-shaking rock ‘n’ roll element, manifested in a rattling tambourine and occasional outbursts of electric-shock lead guitar. Listen below.

TOUR DATES:
Fri. May 10 – Wrexham, UK – FOCUS Wales
Sat. May 11 – Birmingham, UK – The Castle & Falcon
Sun. May 12 – Brighton, UK – Komedia (Matinee)
Sun. May 12 – Brighton, UK – Komedia (Evening)
Fri. May 17 – Clitheroe, UK – The Grand
Sat. May 18 – Sheffield, UK – Get Together
Sat. May 25 – Bristol, UK – Dot To Dot
Sun. May 26 – Nottingham, UK – Dot To Dot
Mon. May 27 – Cardiff, UK – City Arms (Matinee)
Mon. May 27 – Cardiff, UK – City Arms (Evening)
Tue. Jun. 04 – Bristol, UK – The Fleece *
Wed. Jun. 05 – London, UK – Electric Ballroom *
Thu. Jun. 06 – London, UK – Sebright Arms
Wed. Jun. 12 – Madrid, ES – Siroco
Thu. Jun. 13 – Barcelona, ES – Sala VOL
Sat. Jun. 15 – Andoain, ES – Andoaingo Rock Jaialdia
Sat. Jul. 06 – Usk, UK – The Weekend Rumble
Fri. Jul. 26 – Rock, UK – Rock Oyster Festival
Fri. Aug. 02 – Pikehall, UK – Y Not Festival
Fri. Aug. 30 – Brighton, UK – Brighton Psych Fest
Sat. Aug. 31 – Hull, UK – The Adelphi
Sun. Sep. 01 – Edinburgh, UK – Edinburgh Psych Fest
Thu. Nov. 07 – Bournemouth, UK – Bear Cave
Fri. Nov. 08 – Margate, UK – Lido
Sat. Nov. 09 – Bedford, UK – Esquires
Wed. Nov. 13 – Newcastle, UK – The Cluny
Thu. Nov. 14 – Hebden Bridge, UK – The Trades Club
Fri. Nov. 15 – Leicester, UK – The SoundHouse
Sat. Nov. 16 – Norwich, UK – Norwich Arts Centre
* w/ Shellac