New York City’s post punk (self proclaimed rodeo-core) band Dead Tooth have returned with a new single called “Chuckin and Wingin It.” The song came with a fresh video and gave fans another taste of the band’s first full-length record, Dead Tooth, which will be out July 18th on Trash Casual.
Led by songwriter Zach Ellis, Dead Tooth tracked the album across studios in NYC’s outer boroughs from 2022 to 2024. The record was mixed by Tom Beaujour, known for his work with Nada Surf and Juliana Hatfield. Like their other songs, “Chuckin and Wingin It” sounded raw and loud, blending sharp guitar riffs, noisy saxophone, and Ellis’s strained voice. It felt like being in a packed Brooklyn basement, sweaty walls shaking with every note.
Ellis said the album’s words came from nights on the road, nature in danger, too much drinking, the fear of fascism, and trying to survive as an artist in an expensive city. For him, turning stress into songs helped clear his mind. He called the record “a party happening at the end of the world.”
When asked what makes a good songwriter, Ellis said real life stories do. He did not believe fancy music skills made better songs. Instead, he wanted to share his flaws so listeners felt less alone in their own messes. He said artists today often rush to please social media, but he liked music that took its time. “Sometimes building a mood is the most genuine and punk thing you can do,” Ellis said.
Directly from the man himself, Zach Ellis on the new video:
"Chuckin’ and Wingin’it” comes from a slew of cowboy folk songs I’ve been saving for a rainy day. We were out on tour somewhere in the midwest with Bass Drum of Death and one morning after a long tequila soaked night we strolled into a diner feeling half dead. We happened to all be dressed in black and some old timer walked by as the waitress was ushering us to our booth and pointed at us one by one exclaiming “Johnny Cash! Johnny Cash! Johnny Cash! Johnny Cash!” and thus Chuckin’ was born. It’s about that feeling of being on the edge of the world that comes with touring in a crumbling country. Remote towns, barren plains, and miles and miles of nothing. As one of the folkier Dead Tooth songs I wanted to pay homage to some of my heroes like Neil Young, John Prine and Johnny Cash. They’re all referenced directly or indirectly in the lyrics. I thought about how they must have felt the same way touring back in their day. The world is ending and all you have is the next town and the next gig. Will people be there? Who cares.
The video is meant to capture that feeling of apocalypse paralysis that contends with art making. It portrays a character who is both screaming on the inside as well and fighting for composure on the outside. The soft tones represent an almost numbness to everyday life while deep down she’s battling the elements like smoke, wind, fire and rain struggling to embody some kind of emotional fortitude. The footage of Nola Sporn Smith(the star of our video "Blind" and "You Never Do Shit") in the street comes from “FX” or “Effectos Especiales” filmed in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2023 and directed by two local filmmakers Luciana Acuña and Alejo Moguillansky. The footage in NY was directed by myself and filmed by Suz Murray
Dead Tooth have carved out their own corner of modern post-punk, fusing jagged noise, heavy hooks, and fearless storytelling into something that feels both classic and fresh. From gritty Brooklyn clubs to bigger stages with bands like GWAR and Bass Drum Of Death, they’ve built a reputation for turning real-life chaos into cathartic anthems. With “Chuckin and Wingin It,” Dead Tooth keep pushing that mission forward—one wild, imperfect song at a time.
