Date/Time: Wed 20 Aug 2025 7:00PM
Tickets: €24
Mannequin Pussy’s music comes across as a powerful, unrelenting cry that demands attention. Over four albums, this Philadelphia-based rock band—featuring Colins “Bear” Regisford (bass, vocals), Kaleen Reading (drums, percussion), Maxine Steen (guitar, synths), and Marisa Dabice (guitar, vocals)—has crafted cathartic anthems that reflect the struggles of tough times. “With everything going on that feels intentionally harmful, creating something beautiful has become a radical act,” says Dabice. “The heart of this band has always been about bringing people together.” Their latest album, I Got Heaven, set for release on March 1 through Epitaph Records, is their most fully realized work to date. Across ten bold tracks, which seamlessly transition from searing punk to expansive pop, the album explores themes of desire, personal empowerment, and how to navigate a cold, indifferent world. It’s a declaration of a band deeply bonded, creating music that is raw, exhilarating, and alive.
Following the critical success of their third album Patience in 2019, Mannequin Pussy returned in 2021 with their EP Perfect, followed by relentless touring. During this period, they added guitarist Maxine Steen to the lineup. The band members were navigating personal transitions—relationship breakups, moving to new places, and rethinking who they were—yet their time on the road became a grounding and clarifying experience. “We had so much happening in our lives that it became the perfect moment to reevaluate who we were as people and as a band,” says Regisford. This led them to completely alter their approach, opting for collaborative songwriting sessions in Los Angeles with producer John Congleton, as opposed to slowly piecing together tracks at home. “Songwriting has always been a solitary process for me,” Dabice admits. “This time, shedding those hermit tendencies to work collaboratively felt incredibly freeing. Your best work comes when you let others into the process.”
By December 2022, they had 17 new songs, all written with Congleton in Los Angeles. “Everyone felt empowered to contribute their ideas, which made the album the best it could be,” Regisford says. Maxine Steen, who had been collaborating with Dabice for years, played an essential role in the writing sessions. The album’s opener, “I Got Heaven,” began as one of Steen’s demos. “When she played it for me, I knew it was going to be something special,” says Dabice. “The verses are raw and aggressive, while the chorus offers this soaring melody.” The result is electrifying. Over blistering guitar riffs, Dabice defiantly shouts, “And what if I’m an angel? Oh, what if I’m a bore? And what if I was confident, would you just hate me more?”
The song’s bold fusion of sacred and profane themes critiques Christian hypocrisy. “There’s never been a time when modern-day Christianity needed a spiritual revolution more,” says Dabice. “It disgusts me how people use it to justify cruelty, hate, and harmful legislation.” Instead of focusing on judgment and greed, the songs on I Got Heaven question what it truly means to care for others and help communities. “The world we live in is heaven,” says Dabice. “We live on the most beautiful planet in the solar system, yet we continue to destroy it.”
This message is reflected in the album’s cover art: a figure and a pig in nature. The ambiguity of the image suggests a complex relationship—are they leading the animal to slaughter or protecting it? “We should be the protectors of the world we live in,” says Dabice. I Got Heaven understands the weight of its message, incorporating numerous references to fire, hunger, and holiness. On the yearning track “Nothing Like,” driven by Reading’s shuffling drum beat, Dabice’s voice transforms from a soft coo to an intense roar as she sings, “Oh, what’s wrong with dreaming of burning this all down?”
Even when I Got Heaven doesn’t directly tackle existential questions, Mannequin Pussy adds urgency and depth to every track. “I Don’t Know You,” a playful yet poignant single, slowly builds to a climactic peak, enhanced by Reading’s delicate percussion, Steen’s lush synths, and Regisford’s groove. “I changed the tuning last minute, and it completely transformed the song, but everyone knew exactly what to do,” says Dabice. “It was amazing to watch a song come alive in real time. It’s a gift to work with people who are creatively on the same wavelength, with no judgment in sharing ideas.”
The album balances its intensity with moments of lightness, like the buoyant “Loud Bark” or the aggressive hardcore of “OK? OK! OK? OK!” “If you’re a Mannequin Pussy fan, you know we’re going to bring the intensity,” Regisford says. “But we’ll also offer something with a lighter touch, still packing its own version of aggression.” In “Of Her,” Dabice screams, “I was born / Of her fire / Of sacrifices that were made / So I could make it.” This track is about living authentically and recognizing the sacrifices made by those who came before you, especially your mother, so you can live the life you want.
I Got Heaven is a visceral and stunning album created by artists who refuse to accept the status quo. “We’re supposed to be living in the freest era ever, so what it means to be young today is the freedom to challenge the systems that have been imposed on us,” Dabice says. “It makes sense to ask: what am I living for? What makes me want to keep living?”
