Ben Quad announce new album ‘Wisher,’ share “It’s Just A Title”

Oklahoma City emo band Ben Quad have announced their sophomore album, Wisher, due November 14 via Pure Noise (pre-order). Produced by Jon Markson (Drug Church, Koyo, etc), it follows their 2024 screamo EP Ephemera, and lead single “It’s Just A Title” isn’t as heavy as that EP but it isn’t a return to the Midwest emo vibes of their 2022 debut LP I’m Scared That’s All There Is either. It’s catchy, hard-hitting emo, and if the synths remind you a little of Motion City Soundtrack, it may not surprise you to find out that was in fact an influence. Guitarist Edgar Viveros says:

“It’s Just A Title” is about living with constant existential insecurity and questioning whether life now is any better than before. Musically, we drew inspiration from bands like All-American Rejects and Motion City Soundtrack, leaning into pop elements like heavy synths and a guitar solo. It was the first time we broke away from strict Midwest emo and punk structures, and it came together faster than anything we’ve written. For the video, we just wanted to have fun; silk robes, over-the-top vibes, and a tongue-in-cheek take on ‘suffering from success.

[…] Overall, this record is the most confident we’ve ever been as songwriters. There are moments where we venture into experimental and folky territory, but a good amount of the album is also us having fun and leaning into full pop-sensibility.

Check out the song and its video below. The album also has three guest appearances: Sweet Pill’s Zayna Youssef, Microwave’s Nathan Hardy, and Sam Canty of emo-adjacent country band Treaty Oak Revival.

Ben Quad are also gearing up to head out on a fall tour in support of Koyo, alongside Restraining Order and Leaving Time, and that includes a NYC show on November 23 at Racket. After that, they have a UK/EU tour with Arm’s Length. All upcoming dates are listed below.

Tracklist
1. What Fer?
2. Painless
3. You Wanted Us, You Got Us feat. Zayna Youssef
4. Did You Decide to Skip Arts and Crafts? feat. Sam Canty
5. It’s Just A Title
6. Very Big in Sheboygan
7. All Your Luck
8. Classic Case of Guy on the Ground
9. West of West feat. Nathan Hardy
10. I Hate Cursive and I Hate All of You

Ben Quad — 2025/2026 Tour Dates

with Koyo, Restraining Order, Leaving Time:

October 23 – Toronto, ON – Velvet Underground
October 24 – Lakewood, OH – Mahall’s
October 25 – Hamtrack, MI – The Sanctuary Detroit
October 26 – Chicago, IL – Reggies Rock Club
October 28 – Cudahy, WI – X-Ray Arcade
October 29 – Des Moines, IA – Wooly’s
October 31 – Denver, CO – Marquis Theater
November 2 – Boise, ID – The Shredder
November 3 – Portland, OR – McMenamins Mission Theater
November 4 – Seattle, WA – The Vera Project
November 6 – Berkeley, CA – Cornerstone Craft Beer & Live Music
November 7 – Los Angeles, CA – The Lodge Room
November 8 – San Diego, CA – Voodoo Room @ House of Blues
November 9 – Mesa, AZ – The Rosetta Room
November 11 – San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger
November 12 – Dallas, TX – Dada Dallas
November 14 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade
November 17 – Charlotte, NC – Amos’ Southend
November 18 – Richmond, VA – Canal Club
November 20 – Washington, DC – Pearl Street Warehouse
November 21 – Somerville, MA – Cafe at The Somerville Armory
November 22 – Philadelphia, PA – First Unitarian Church
November 23 – New York, NY – Racket NYC

with Arm’s Length, Shoreline:

February 5 – Southampton, UK – Engine Rooms
February 6 – London, UK – O2 Academy Islington
February 7 – Manchester, UK – Club Academy
February 9 – Glasgow, UK – G2, The Garage
February 10 – Newcastle Upon Tune, UK – The Grove
February 12 – Liverpool, UK – District
February 13 – Leeds, UK – Project House
February 14 – Birmingham, UK – O2 Academy 2
February 15 – Kingston Upon Thames, UK – Fighting Cocks
February 18 – Antwerpen, Belgium
February 19 – Eindhoven, Netherlands – Dynamo
February 20 – Cologne, Germany – Gebäude 9
February 21 – Hamburg, Germany – LOGO