Spoils System drop new album ‘The Nope Out’ — Shoegaze power-pop with teeth

Hudson Valley’s Spoils System are back with a bang (and a shimmer) on their sophomore album ‘The Nope Out,’ via Sweet Cheetah Records. If their 2022 debut ‘Smoke Signals’ set the scene, this new LP digs deeper—louder, fuzzier, and emotionally sharper. Imagine Swervedriver at a Death Cab dinner party, with Blinker the Star somewhere in the background making it weird (in the best way).

‘The Nope Out’ may carry Spoils System’s name, but the project actually started as something else entirely—a side gig that ended up growing into a full-on evolution. Vocalist/guitarist Dan Coutant explained how the record came from a more relaxed, open mindset:

“It wasn’t really supposed to be a Spoils System record. We just followed what felt good: guitar-forward power-pop with a little dissonance. The songs came from a more ‘free and easy’ place.”

That looseness led to something surprisingly tight. The record flows more cohesively than their first, but still swings through different moods and genres—think Big Star jangle one minute, Portishead haze the next, with detours through Steely Dan and Failure. Despite the shifts, there’s a throughline that ties it all together: raw honesty, great hooks, and no interest in chasing trends.

“The title ‘The Nope Out’ came from the side project’s name,” says Coutant. “But it’s also our quiet protest against what the music world has become. Social media algorithms, superficial metrics, the pressure to package yourself—it’s a tough landscape if you’re not young or shiny or easily categorized. So, we nope out. We make music for ourselves, and hopefully, it finds its way to people who feel the same.”

And here’s a pretty rad footnote: two of the album’s tracks—Force For Good and Hall of Forgotten Names—feature Failure’s own Kellii Scott on drums. Yeah, no big deal… just a drummer from one of the best alt-rock bands of the ’90s showing up to throw down.

Spoils System is:
Dan Coutant (vocals/guitar/keys)
Sean Hansen (guitar/vocals)
David Fateman (bass)
Mark Frankel (drums)

The band recorded with some heavy hitters, too: J. Robbins, Tom Hill (Bookhouse Studio, London), and Paul Carabello all helped shape the sonics.

Coutant and Hansen have serious roots in the scene, coming up in the early 2000s with emo outfit Joshua—who once shared stages with The Get Up Kids, At the Drive-In, and Jets to Brazil. Hansen also lent a hand on The Ataris’ Welcome the Night, so yeah, these guys know their way around a loud, heartfelt song.

‘The Nope Out’ is available now for streaming and purchase. It’s a record made with heart, distortion pedals, and zero concern for fitting into anyone else’s mold. If that’s your vibe, tune in.

Listen / Buy: Bandcamp
Follow Spoils System: Facebook | Instagram

Go ahead, nope out of the noise—and into something real.