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Greg Mendez

Greg Mendez Signs to Dead Oceans, Announces New EP, Shares Lead Single, and Reissues

© Juliette Boulay

Philadelphia-based musician Greg Mendez has announced his signing with Dead Oceans and the upcoming release of his new EP, First Time / Alone, scheduled for October 18th. The EP’s lead single, ‘First Time’, has been released alongside the announcement – a showcase of Mendez’s unique style. 

First Time / Alone was crafted during the late summer and early autumn of 2023, following the success of Mendez’s self-titled debut album, which is also being reissued by Dead Oceans. The EP was influenced by a challenging time period, capturing a sense of introspection and vulnerability, as Mendez underwent intensive surgery on his right wrist, leading to a four-month hiatus from playing guitar and touring. 

Despite the initial setback, the tracks displayed on the EP possess a raw and unrefined beauty, with Mendez embracing the simplicity and directness of the music. He found that the more he revisited the work, the more it felt complete and authentic as it was. 

The songs on the release were recorded straight to four-track in the spare room of a West Philadelphia apartment. It’s a four-song arc, from the mournful opening of ‘Mountain Dew Hell’, to the pitched-up vocals on ‘Pain Meds’, reflecting a tiny song floundering in the enormity of grief. Listening through feels like waking up from a half-remembered dream, a strange solitude, and a glimpse into the beautiful, lonely worlds that live in the core of a Greg Mendez song.

Mendez is set to embark on a tour across the US, including dates with the likes of Angel Olsen and Allegra Krieger, promising to spotlight Mendez’s captivating and emotive live performances. 

Greg Mendez US Dates

  • 24/09 – Lebanon, NH @ Lebanon Opera House ^
  • 25/09 – Portland, ME @ State Theatre ^
  • 27/09 – Northampton, MA @ Academy of Music Theatre ^
  • 28/09 – Hudson, NY @ Basilica SoundScape
  • 17/10 – Washington, DC @ Songbyrd *
  • 18/10 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s *
  • 19/10 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Cafe *
  • 21/10 – Columbus, OH @ Rumba Cafe *
  • 22/10 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop*
  • 23/10 – Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club *
  • 24/10 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry *
  • 25/10 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas Tavern *
  • 30/10 – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right *

^w/ Angel Olsen

*w/ Allegra Krieger

Katie Macbeth

katie macbeth

Katie Macbeth is a freelance music journalist for Indie Is Not A Genre based out of Manchester, presenter of @drunktankthink, and post punk enthusiast.



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