Sacramento’s dark new voice in post-punk, FALSE FLOWERS, are releasing their self-titled debut album on October 3rd, 2025, through Strange Club Records. The record will be available on 12" vinyl and limited-run cassette.
The album brings together five original tracks that blend post-punk, dark wave, goth, and death rock into one shadowy mix. The band’s sound is heavy with cold textures, echoing bass, and somber melodies that feel both hypnotic and alive. Their lyrics draw from true crime, horror cinema, and the quiet pain of isolation.
The lead single, “Chatham Rules,” takes aim at the secrecy of power and the quiet influence of elites behind closed doors. The line “Smoke and mirrors disguised in code, wishing you had never known” captures the unease of realizing how little control we truly have.
“Cold Stares” shifts into emotional territory, tracing the slow collapse of a relationship and the aching desire to rebuild it. “Write your name in silver pen, keep seeing your face again,” reflects that pull toward the past. “Unsafe Numbers” explores what happens when an artist’s work is stolen and exploited for profit, while “Another Lullaby”—inspired by horror films—tells the chilling tale of a teenage prank gone wrong.
The haunting closer, “Dorothea Puente’s Ghost,” takes its name from Sacramento’s infamous serial killer but instead questions society’s neglect of the elderly and forgotten. With lines like “Who haunts the haunted? Who wants the unwanted?”, the song leaves a lingering chill.
FALSE FLOWERS are made up of seasoned underground musicians: Craig Hancock, Conrad Melancon, Lory Gil, and Brian Hanover—veterans of bands like RAD, Sick Burn, Hanover Saints, and Union Hearts.
After releasing their first track, “Winter of Void,” on Secret Futures – A Strange Club Records Compilation, the group has played with acts like Generacion Suicida, Ronnie Stone, and Altar Girl. This fall, they’ll tour across California with labelmates Primitive Heads to celebrate their new release and the video premiere for “Chatham Rules", available to listen to below:
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