Belgian gruff punks and self-proclaimed perennial underachievers Rich Widows are back at it with a digital only three song EP.


‘Jackie’ is, of course, named after Jacqueline Bouvier-Kennedy-Onassis, whose life is probably the most tragic story any rich widow could experience. The EP kicks off with ‘Them Angels Only Know’. “It’s a song we’ve been playing live for a while now and the response has been pretty great”, guitarist Christophe gloats, “People have been throwing around compliments like Jawbreaker-ish or a mix of Alkaline Trio and the Lawrence Arms. Seriously… even my mom thinks it isn’t all that terrible.” Strange how a song about the appeal of substance abuse in times of depression and isolation can get motherly approval. ‘Them Angels…’ also comes with a unique video: a darkly comedic mix of AI-generated images, animation, and live footage. “That blend was actually an idea by Croque Boulot, the artist who made it for us, because it would save time and we wanted to launch quickly”, Christophe continues, “But we couldn’t be happier with the result. It looks professional, especially for our standards.” The second track is ‘Winter Snow’, a full-on rager of a track that was inspired by the likes of Good Riddance, old Rise Against, Lifetime, Kid Dynamite and… yes… loneliness. It’s got the right singalong-parts and a healthy dose of dual vocals. Closing track ‘Shake Hands’ is somewhat of a departure from the usual gruff punk Rich Widows has been making for 7 years now, with a bouncy backbeat in the verses and a chorus that grunge bands in the 90s used to make. Recording was done by the sweet Tim Van Doorn (Antillectual, Joe McMahon, Billy Liar). Mixing was done by Rich Widows’ own drummer, Adriaan De Belder, at The Noisefloor. And mastering was handled by Troy Glessner at Spectre Studios, known for his work on albums by New Found Glory, MxPx, August Burns Red, Devin Townshend and other crazy big names. The digital only EP contains 3 songs, available for streaming (and download via Bandcamp) through most platforms. Due to not having sent any music to any record label, there are no plans to release physical copies. For now, at least. Video animation, editing and all that jazz by Kristof Hermans – Croqueboulot.be. Live footage by Graham Lough.

Biography:
Rich Widows is a gruff punk band with songs about 3 am dive bars, bad decisions, wreckage and remorse. Back in 2017, a drunken discussion about Hot Water Music, The Lawrence Arms and Samiam quickly turned into the plan to start a punk rock band. Funny thing is they never really got to sound like any of those bands. On their first two EP’s, they borrowed hints of Jawbreaker, Dillinger Four and Pegboy if they were all soaked in beer, while debut album ‘Wreckage & Remorse’ saw the band releasing a more diverse set of songs, ranging from fast hardcore punk ragers to midtempo punk rock. Hell, there’s even a piano ballad on the album. Those releases helped them land gigs with bands like Get Dead and Nothington, as well as a spot on the famous Groezrock festival.