Big Stir Records is delighted to announce the upcoming release of LAST DAYS OF LOMA, the new album from Long Beach, California-based indie pop-folk trio WORMSTEW. It's the official debut album for the band, featuring the indie hit single “Spinning” and the forthcoming “Tippy Tippy Tea,” along with 12 more utterly charming tracks brimming with witty wordplay, immaculate harmonies and warmly inviting arrangements. The album is out April 24 on Vinyl, CD and Streaming worldwide and up for preorder and pre-save now:

https://orcd.co/wormstew-ldol

The endlessly catchy and lyrically fascinating LAST DAYS OF LOMA marks what WORMSTEW consider their “proper” debut album. The band has existed in various forms for over two decades as the main musical outlet for LA pop scene fixture MIKE SCHNEE, whose beloved surrealist comedy alter ego Chissum Worthington also dabbles in tunes of a more humor-centered bent. But something happened in 2024 when WORMSTEW accidentally evolved into its current and definitive lineup including bassist and vocalist TERESA COWLES (EZ Tiger, Dragsterbarbie, Evie Sands) and drummer, vocalist and producer MICHAEL SIMMONS (of sparkle*jets u.k. and solo renown). Not only did they unlock the chemistry of friends who happen to be ace musicians playing together for the sheer fun of it, the change happened to coincide with Schnee completing a new set of songs which marked a watershed of emotional depth without sacrificing the sly glee and gentle humor of what had come before.

Accidents just might be the defining factor in WORMSTEW's journey. On their prior EPs and singles, Schnee had aimed for Paul McCartney, Neil Young, Paul Simon, Ween, and various other heroes, only to (by his own estimation) miss the target entirely. Those experiments, though, established something unique: songs that feel familiar but slightly askew, earnest yet dryly funny, guided more by instinct than polish. They were collected on eight homemade albums, handed out to anyone willing to take one. The songwriting and ideas were strong; the fidelity was inconsistent; the looseness was both charming and frustrating, but an organically-growing fanbase was increasingly intrigued. A shift toward coherence began during COVID, when Schnee and Cowles, under the side project alias The Slanket Sessions, reimagined several vintage Wormstew songs and wrote new material, developing a distinct musical and vocal rapport along the way. When Michael Simmons joined in late 2024, he expanded the skeletal tracks with drums, keyboards, and additional instrumentation. It was the same WORMSTEW, but the new ingredients were awaking hidden flavors, and LAST DAYS OF LOMA began to simmer its way toward becoming the rich and hearty main course it is today.

With its wellsprings of whimsy and effortlessly virtuosic arrangements, LOMA is an understated but profoundly engaging record that breaks new ground without sacrificing the serendipitous charm that got it here. It catches your ears and brings a smile from the moment it rides in on the shuffling beat and classic organ riff of its giddy lead single “Spinning,” and by the time the ace harmonies of the chorus hit, it's clear that the band's chemistry is potent. From there, the album throws the first of its many quirky curveballs with “Sheriff Brody,” which is very much what its title promises: a character study about the protagonist (and supporting cast) of the classic movie JAWS. Pop culture references continue to surface on the noir-tinged spy-music workout “Bucket Of Blues,” turning as it does on the line “Danny DeVito and his bad boy behavior was surprising to me,” and the genuinely creepy/funny “J.P. McCartney” on which Schnee imagines himself as “a crazed Paul McCartney superfan who breaks into his house... we strike up a friendship, play each other our songs, and walk around in our underwear.” Elsewhere, the cinematic mission statement “Movin' Along” was conceived as “the closing number in a cheesy mid-’60s Elvis movie,” but these aren't random references for nostalgia's sake: like the warm folk-rock idiom in which the band couches these tunes, these names are being recontextualized into something new and unique in service of Wormstew's singular worldview.

It wouldn't do to say that Wormstew has gotten more “mature” in comparison to their early work, but the humor is more sophisticated and slyly integrated into meditations on deeper themes. There's a touch of the childlike wonder of Jonathan Richman on songs like the jubilant celebration of all things British “Tippy Tippy Tea” (the album's second indie hit single) and the disarmingly sweet “When Our Worlds Collide.” One might also be reminded of Robyn Hitchcock's gift for blending darker themes with funny absurdism in places, as on the miniature masterpiece “When Cats Are Sad,” with its “Waterloo Sunset” feel and chipper melody cloaking an almost brutal contemplation of grief (Schnee clearly loves his pets but refuses to romanticize them, and it hits hard even while it gets your toes tapping). Loss also suffuses the closing title track, an emotional farewell to a longtime residence that's too vividly real in its details to feel saccharine (“I’m uneasy and I’m beat, and I’m tired of the packing and I need something to eat,” he sings matter-of-factly).

Clearly, for all its clever asides and delightful wordplay, LAST DAYS OF LOMA is anything but a novelty album. Schnee zeroes in on one of its core concerns: “A recurring theme in many of my songs is the feeling that I could do better—in life, in love, etc.—while ultimately not changing much at all.” You can hear that in the self-effacing takedown “Assholes” (fueled by the deft banjo of guest Probyn Gregory), the gently fatalistic chamber pop ballad “Forgotten,” and on what may be Schnee's quintessential set of lyrics “Another Stupid Song.” “It's love song about being insecure about being loved,” he says, and the key line “I can be different, I can’t be anything but different” bears that out. It's not a stupid song at all... or maybe it is, but that doesn't stop it from being absolutely heartbreaking, especially when the harmonies and gorgeous AM Gold arrangement lift it into the musical stratosphere. Schnee needn't be worrying that he's a “good person” – we know him, and he most certainly is, in the way that only people who would ask themselves that question can be. But more importantly, on LAST DAYS OF LOMA, he and his bandmates touch the hearts of anyone else looking inward with the same hopes and fears. This is WORMSTEW... grab a spoon and get a taste of one of the most unique and compelling bands on the indie pop menu this year.

WORMSTEW, the Long Beach-based indie pop-folk trio featuring LA pop scene movers Mike Schnee, Teresa Cowles and Michael Simmons, continues the countdown to their new album with the delightful single “Tippy Tippy Tea.” A swinging salute to all things British, it follows the recent indie hit “Spinning” in previewing the fun to be found on the just-announced album LAST DAYS OF LOMA due at the end of the month on Vinyl, CD and Streaming. The new single, accompanied by an equally clever official music video, is out April 3 on all digital platforms worldwide and up for preorder and pre-save now:

https://orcd.co/wormstew-ttt

WORMSTEW has been simmering for years as the main musical outlet for singer-songwriter MIKE SCHNEE, but the new lineup featuring bassist COWLES (EZ Tiger, Dragster Barbie, Evie Sands) and drummer/vocalist/producer MICHAEL SIMMONS (of sparkle*jets u.k. and solo renown) has proven to have all the ingredients needed to bring the band to a boil. The album LAST DAYS OF LOMA is where all the flavors – and voices – achieve complete harmony: the songs are warm and funny (but often disarmingly unflinching) and the uncluttered but deeply considered arrangements let the lyrics shine. The giddy single “Spinning” from this past February was the band's introduction to most fans on the global indie scene, and the wonderfully playful “Tippy Tippy Tea” is cut from the same cloth, but also tailor made for an Anglophile audience, as Schnee explains.

“I love spending time in London. I love movies set there. I love the funny words and the funny way people talk,” he says, fully aware that the humor in the song comes just as much from the way he deploys the terms. “I wrote the lyrics to this song while in London; the music came easily once I got home.” It's another gleeful delivery from the band, and the affection for the English vernacular is bolstered by the fine, British-invasion-inspired harmonies of Cowles and Simmons (not to mention the “Strawberry Fields” mellotron added by Simmons in the latter half of the track).

“Tippy Tippy Tea” embodies the playful spirit of wordplay that fuels the album LAST DAYS OF LOMA, which while always clever can be brought to bear on topics from grief, aging, loss, and the drive to be a better person. Each examination of a darker topic is lined with humor, and even the songs with the seemingly brightest of surfaces can reveal startling shadows. Most of them, that is... the single at hand may quite simply be an expression of the joy of travel and connecting with the linguistic textures of a beloved destination and its people. Such enthusiasm is at the core of what WORMSTEW does, and one more reason to celebrate their arrival on the global pop scene with one of the most purely charming albums of the year. LAST DAYS OF LOMA is out April 24 on Vinyl, CD and Streaming worldwide... have a cuppa while you wait, wot?

Big Stir Records is proud to welcome the newest addition to our roster: WORMSTEW, the Long Beach-based indie pop-folk trio featuring three longtime key players from the LA power pop scene. The band makes its label debut with the irresistibly charming single “Spinning,” offering audiences worldwide their first taste of the hooks and and witty wordplay that await when their debut album sees release later this Spring. The new single, accompanied by an equally clever official music video, is out February 13 on all digital platforms worldwide and up for preorder and pre-save now:

https://orcd.co/wormstew-spinning

While WORMSTEW has existed in various forms, all fronted by LA pop scene fixture MIKE SCHNEE, for years, the band – in its definitive new lineup including bassist/vocalist TERESA COWLES (EZ Tiger, Dragster Barbie, Evie Sands) and drummer/vocalist/producer MICHAEL SIMMONS (of sparkle*jets u.k. and solo renown) consider their new material their “proper” debut. The band's live shows and prior singles and EPs, as well as SCHNEE's ongoing surrealist comedy work as his alter ego Chissum Worthington, have earned them a loyal local following, and the strength of their recent songs along with the deftly detailed touch of Simmons as a producer have resulted in an album, LAST DAYS OF LOMA, that demands a broader audience. The giddy hooks, winning wordplay and ace harmonies of “Spinning” are the perfect introduction.

Galloping in on a shuffling beat and an instantly-memorable organ riff, “Spinning” brings a smile right away, especially when Schnee starts singing. The wit of the lyrics and the glee of his delivery simply radiate off of the track, and when Cowles and Simmons join in for the immaculate harmonies of the chorus, the track lifts off into the AM Gold stratosphere. It wouldn't do to say that Wormstew has gotten more “mature” in comparison to their early work: the humor may be more understated and the reasons for Schnee's citation of Neil Young, McCartney and Paul Simon as influences are evident, but there's more than a touch of the childlike enthusiasm of Jonathan Richman and the playfulness of Ween on display, too.

“I wrote this entire song—everything except the lyrics—years ago: the chords, rhythm, and melody. I couldn’t think of anything to sing about, but I also knew I didn’t want to change a single note. I wanted every syllable to stay exactly as I had 'scat-sung' it on the demo,” says Schnee. “Years later, on a road trip to Lone Pine with Teresa, I finally found the subject matter. As a bonus, I somehow managed to find a real word for every single 'da' I had sung.” Everything gels on the resulting track and it's an ideal jumping-on point for new fans, who can expect the breezy production and warm humor to inform every track on the new album, even as the songs touch on topics from grief, aging, the drive to be a better person and even the characters of the classic movie JAWS. There's much to discover in the world of WORMSTEW... and it all starts here, with “Spinning.”