Strange Neighbors
The NYC-based power pop outfit Strange Neighbors is fresh off the release of their sophomore album, People Pleasers Pleasing People, which came out April 18th, 2025 via Mint 400 Records.
Comprised of Aidan Strange (vocals), *Dana Bennewitz (bass), Zach Schweikert (guitar), and Beau Valentine (drums), the band draws inspiration from a diverse range of artists, and have been described as a queer mix of My Chemical Romance, The Beatles, and IRS Records-era R.E.M.
The band maintains momentum for the new album with the release of their new music video for their single, “Hate Me Less.” Combining influences from all corners of melodic pop-rock music, Strange Neighbors has cracked the code on how to craft earworm after earworm.
Aidan Strange discusses the creative process:
“A theme that weaves itself throughout our music is along the lines of ‘laugh now, cry later,’ says Strange. “Lyrically and thematically, we tackle and touch upon some difficult subjects like wanting to numb yourself from the world and the pain that comes with it, guilt-stricken breakups, learning to relinquish control, and ‘what does it mean when love is there but it isn’t ever going to be enough?’ We maneuver through the difficult subjects with groove, contagious beats, humor, satire, and sometimes a bit of shouting.”
Having formed in Brooklyn in 2018, the unquestionable magnetism of this beloved indie act lies within the individual strengths each member brings to the table: Strange channels a pop-punk passion by way of a teenage career in musical theatre, while Valentine compliments that theatrical edge from behind the kit, with Bennewitz bringing her jazz background to the band’s intricate underpinnings, and Schweikert tying it all together with his catchy, jangly hooks and use of his 12-string guitar.
Strange Neighbors self-released their first album, How to Human, in 2019, followed by a series of singles collected on the Illuminasti (2020) and _Party of None) (2023) EPs. They released “Quiet Beat,” a cover of an unreleased Doug Hopkins (Gin Blossoms) song, in September 2023, which has ties to the band, as Hopkins is the late uncle of Bennewitz. In November 2024, the band joined the Mint 400 Records roster.
Strange Neighbors website
Strange Neighbors Linktree
