Drug Church

Drug Church is an American post-hardcore band from Albany, New York, United States. The band has released five albums, as well as several EPs.

Drug Church
Patrick Kindlon performing with Drug Church in Denver. March 2023
Background information
Origin	Albany, New York, United States
Genres	Post-hardcore hardcore punk alternative rock punk rock post-punk grunge emo
Years active	2011-present
Labels	Pure Noise No Sleep Secret Voice Ride The Fury
Spinoffs	Militarie Gun Pile of Love
Spinoff of	Self Defense Family
Members	Patrick Kindlon Nick Cogan Cory Galusha Chris Villeneuve Pat Wynne

Drug Church performing at the Ottobar in Baltimore, 2023

History

Drug Church started as a side project for singer Patrick Kindlon of Self Defense Family. After having released a three-song demo online in 2011, the band got signed by No Sleep Records by the beginning of 2012. The band's original lineup included Kindlon, guitarist Nick Cogan, bassist Cory Galusha, and drummer Chris Villeneuve. They were later joined by Patrick Wynne on bass, moving Galusha to second guitar. Their debut EP, Swell, was released in 2012, and it received critical acclaim for its raw and aggressive sound. This early work laid the foundation for Drug Church's growing reputation as an innovative and exciting band in the punk and hardcore scenes.

Drug Church's debut full-length album, Paul Walker (named after the late actor of the same name), was released in 2013 and was well received by music critics. The band's sophomore album, "Hit Your Head," released in 2015, continued to push the boundaries of their sound and featured lyrics that explored social and personal issues with a unique blend of wit and introspection.

In 2018, Drug Church signed with Pure Noise Records released their third album, Cheer which demonstrated the band's willingness to experiment with different styles such as grunge while retaining their punk ethos. The album received praise for its introspective and honest lyrics, as well as its willingness to tackle complex themes.

The band's fourth album Hygiene was announced on November 10, 2021 with the release of the singles "Million Miles of Fun" (a reference to Len's "Steal My Sunshine") and "Detective Lieutenant", and was released on March 11, 2022 through Pure Noise Records. On March 1, 2023, the band released the single Myopic through Pure Noise Records, which was ultimately included on their fifth album, Prude, released on October 4, 2024. The release of Prude was flanked by the release of singles "Demolition Man", "Slide 2 Me" and "Myopic". The music video for "Demolition Man" was originally meant to feature comedian Tim Robinson, who is often likened to Kindlon. Robinson was ultimately not available, but I Think You Should Leave actor Biff Wiff was then cast in the clip.

Musical style

Drug Church's music is characterized by its eclectic blend of punk rock, post-hardcore, and alternative rock. Their sound has evolved over the years, moving from a raw and aggressive punk style to a more diverse and experimental approach. Lyrically, the band explores a wide range of themes, often delving into social and personal issues with a unique combination of humor and thoughtfulness.

Lyrical and musical style

Musically the band mixes hardcore punk in the style of bands like Black Flag with alternative rock and grunge elements to create their post-punk/post-hardcore sound. The lyrics to their songs focus mostly on social matters and tend to be dark and/or satirical. In a Q&A Session on the website of his other project Self Defense Family, Kindlon has stated that he has no pre-written lyrics for his bands and rather writes the songs' lyrics while in the studio:

Completely different people write the instrument portion of the music. Leads to a very different feel, so, very different lyrics. Also, I write everything in the studio. So, there’s no bank of lyrics I pull from. This is made to order, not buffet.

Members

Current members

• Nick Cogan – guitar (2011–present)
• Cory Galusha – guitar (2011–present), bass (2011)
• Patrick Kindlon – vocals (2011–present)
• Chris Villeneuve – drums (2011–present)
• Patrick Wynne – bass (2011–present)

Discography

Studio albums

Album	Year	Label
Paul Walker	2013	No Sleep Records
Hit Your Head	2015	No Sleep Records
Cheer	2018	Pure Noise Records
Hygiene	2022	Pure Noise Records
Prude	2024	Pure Noise Records

EPs and other

Name	Year	Label
Demo	2011	Ride the Fury Records
Drug Church	2012	No Sleep Records
"Party at Dead Man's" b/w "Selling Drugs from Your Mom's Condo"	2013	Secret Voice
Swell	2015	No Sleep Records
Tawny	2021	Pure Noise Records

Singles

• "Weed Pin" (2017)
• "Bliss Out" (2020)
• "Myopic" (2023)
• "Demolition Man" (2024)