On Nov. 15, the steadily rising alternative-pop band The Regrettes announced they would be disbanding at the end of this year, shocking their fanbase following their most recent release “Further Joy,” which dropped in 2022. As the band prepares to play its last shows at The Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, CA, next month, let’s take a look back at how The Regrettes became a household name in the indie scene.
In 2015, members Lydia Night (lead singer), Genessa Gariano (guitar), Brooke Dickson (bass) and Drew Thomsen (drums) created The Regrettes, beginning to slowly release music onto streaming platforms. Starting with “A Living Human Girl,” “Hey Now,” “Hot,” “Seashore” and “Marshmallow World” the following year, the band intrigued listeners with Night’s high soprano and its 1980s-inspired sound.
Following came the band’s first debut album via Warner Records, “Feel Your Feelings Fool!,” which featured breakout tracks like “I Don’t Like You,” “Lacy Loo” and “Picture Perfect.” Centered around female angst and gender norms, listeners sympathized with Night’s lyrical stance on gender roles and perfectionism, making her one of the indie genre’s most outspoken and poetic singers at the time.
Three years after its debut, the band dropped its first EP, titled “Attention Seeker.” Consisting of five tracks, The Regrettes released acoustic renditions of “Hey Now” and “A Living Human Girl,” but also released three new tracks called “Come Through,” “Red Light” and “A Teenager In Love.” All tracks centered around teenage love and heartbreak, the band evolved in its themes and sounds, stretching from pop to rock influences.
The group’s EP landed The Regrettes’ major gigs such as Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Governors Ball Music Festival, Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival and Firefly Music Festival in the same year, playing to masses all over the U.S. The Regrettes continued to release music on the road, including three new songs titled “Helpless,” “California Friends” and “Poor Boy.”
However, the band’s biggest breakthrough came a year later in 2019 with the follow-up to its first album, “How Do You Love?” While some of the success of this album came with Night’s former relationship with Wallows’ frontman Dylan Minette, The Regrettes received high praise for a solid pop record.
With bangers like “I Dare You” and “Pumpkin,” Consequence called the record, “a catharsis that reminds us how human it is to love, to be afraid to love, to hurt, to fall apart, and to find the strength to rebuild again.” Keeping up its momentum, the band began to tour on its own and headline small venues throughout the nation and other countries like the U.K.
After years of traveling and touring, The Regrettes, along with all of the music industry, had to take a pause from live shows due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, this didn’t stop the band from reaching its fanbase, and the group dropped singles like the melancholy “What Am I Gonna Do Today?” and the heartwarming love song “I Love Us,” experimenting with different storylines and lyrics about love and loss.
As the pandemic steadily declined, live music started to make a comeback, as well as The Regrettes. The group released its first collaboration with Lauran Hibberd on “How Am I Still Alive?,” as well as the first two singles, “You’re So F---ing Pretty” and “Monday,” that would be included on The Regrettes’ upcoming third record.
The Regrettes’ third album “Further Joy” was a departure from its 1980s influences, focusing more on modern sounds and themes of growth, self-realization, heartbreak and trauma. Night’s struggles with mental health also became a dominant motif throughout the record, evident in songs such as “Anxieties (Out of Time),” the fan-favorite “Barely on My Mind” and “Nowhere.”
The album’s era finished strong with multiple appearances at the same festival and live venues, and The Regrettes started playing for larger crowds over time. The group even earned opening spots for major artists like Yungblud and Claud, and again headlined another national tour.
The Regrettes recently released a cover of Robyn’s “Dancing on My Own” back in March, likely signaling the last single by the band after its last shows in Los Angeles next month.
Even though The Regrettes are breaking up, the band has had an incredible legacy and impact on the alt-indie music scene that shouldn’t be forgotten anytime soon.
