Philadelphia band Looser is ready to share their debut album Lonely Century on September 28, 2025, through Mint 400 Records. The group is known for their catchy rock songs that mix ‘90s slacker rock with ‘70s and ‘80s power pop. They sound like a mix of the Breeders, Pavement, the Cars, and the Go-Gos. Their music blends strong guitars, sharp choruses, and bright vocal harmonies. The songs often talk about loneliness, feeling apart from others, and how hard it can be to really connect in today’s world.
Looser started in 2018 as a solo project for singer and songwriter Anthony “Tino” Aquilino. He was also in the bands Sun Hat and Control Top before working on Looser full-time. Tino first put out the single “Envy Sea” in 2018 and then the Sour Power EP in 2021. After a few changes, the band now includes drummer Zac Ciancaglini, bass player Russell Langley, guitarist and singer Gabe Wilhelm, S. Catoe on synth and cello, and Megan Gouda on backing vocals.
Since then, Looser has been playing shows around Philadelphia and New York. They have shared stages with other local rock bands like Tetchy, Puppy Angst, Mandy Valentine, Those Looks, and Goodnight Lights. In 2023, Looser teamed up with Heavy Shrug for the split Bugs and Stuff, which featured their single “Psychic Vamps.” That song showed the band’s move toward clearer sounds and more open space in their songs. It also put a spotlight on Aquilino and Gouda’s strong vocal mix.
The new album Lonely Century builds on that sound. Fans can expect even bigger choruses, buzzing synths, clear production, sparkling vocal layers, and heavy guitars. The lead single, “Lonely Century Boy,” is a sharp power-pop song with crunchy guitars and honest lyrics.
“‘Lonely Century Boy’ was the first song I wrote specifically for this record,” Aquilino said. “It sort of outlined the record’s big themes of growing loneliness, boredom and isolation stemming from the very technology that had promised to draw us closer together.”
Aquilino explained that the song came from his own life. “I was thinking about this period in my life where I had dropped out of college and moved back in with my parents and was working this super boring office job,” he said. “I was really aware of all the time I was spending alone in a car, commuting and getting drive-through fast food, staring at a screen all day just to go home and stare at another set of screens.”
He added, “Some of the people working there had been there for 10, 15, 20 years—a significant chunk of a century—and I could see how someone could get really comfortable in that lifestyle and lose touch with the person they were or wanted to be.”
Looser’s Lonely Century shows how rock can still feel true and fresh. The new album comes out this fall and proves Looser is a band to watch.