Let’s cut the pleasantries. The House Flies have been lurking in the Illinois underground for a bit, and they’re about to drop a track that feels like a heatwave on a dead-end street. Their new single, “Derelict Crawl“, lands September 4th, and it’s the first peek into their upcoming full-length Lions and Ore, due November 6th.
This four-piece from Moline—Alex Riggen on vocals and guitar, Burnie Eckhardt now holding down the second guitar, Ozzie Woods on bass, and Nick Pompou behind the kit—have dialled in a sound that sits right in that gray zone between post-punk and gothic rock. This is the first record with Eckhardt fully integrated, and you can feel that extra layer of density in the guitars.
But what really sells this thing is the repeated hook: “We don’t belong.” It’s not a shout; it’s more like a tired admission. The lyrics roll through images of dial tones, worn leather, summer heat, and physical collapse—none of it pretty, all of it honest. It’s the kind of song that sounds like it was recorded in a garage with the windows sealed, letting the sweat and dust soak into the tape.
Riggen himself said they kept coming back to this one as the lead single because it carries the weight of the album without spilling all the secrets. And that makes sense. The rest of Lions and Ore apparently stretches out into longer, more patient tracks, with rural gothic imagery like old houses, fields, weather, and things slowly unravelling. But “Derelict Crawl” wastes no time. It gets in, digs its heels in, and repeats that refrain until it burrows under your skin.
The production comes from Ross Mixes, with mastering by Michael Briggs, and the artwork—done by Riggen himself—keeps that same gritty, worn-out aesthetic. This is a band that knows exactly what they are: dark, repetitive, and unapologetically slow-burning.
The limited vinyl run is only 100 copies, which tells you they’re not chasing radio gold. They’re building a mood, and that mood is damp, heavy, and persistent. Hang tight for November 6th when the full album drops. And if you’re near Davenport, Iowa, catch them at Raccoon Motel for the release show—with The King of the Weirdos and others. That lineup alone tells you they’re playing for the right crowd.