Crocodiles

Formed in San Diego in 2008 around the duo Brandon Welchez and Charles Rowell, Crocodiles sits within an aesthetic that mixes noise pop, indie pop, post-punk revival, psychedelic rock and lo-fi, with songs where very poppy melodies meet saturated guitars and often hazy production. The project arose after the end of their respective punk bands, Some Girls and The Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower, and began circulating with the single "Neon Jesus" before the release of a first self-produced album, Summer of Hate, in 2009. Crocodiles followed with Sleep Forever in 2010, Endless Flowers in 2012 (recorded in Berlin), and Crimes of Passion in 2013. Initially conceived as a studio duo, Crocodiles gradually expanded its live line-up with a rhythm section and additional musicians. Over the years the band has steered its songwriting toward sometimes more direct or brighter forms without abandoning its noise-pop core, as evidenced by Boys (2015), Dreamless (2016), Love Is Here (2019) and Upside Down in Heaven (2023). Along the way Crocodiles has also crossed paths with artists like Dum Dum Girls, Dan Treacy and Hollie Cook, while remaining committed to a dense, nervy and melodic song format.