If you dig Glassjaw, Every Time I Die, Refused, and early Maylene & The Sons of the Disaster, then The Undertaking! will be your new favorite band, thanks to the noisy, push and pull of their sound.

The Undertaking’s founding members — Brent Jasperse (drums), Keith Butsko (guitar), and Austin Visser (vocals) — were in the band before they even knew they’d created it, having spent their youths playing songs in each other’s childhood homes. It wasn’t until a revelation in early 2018 that the trio realized they’d been crafting something for decades: legitimate music. They invited James Moyer (bass) and Johnny Mercuri (guitars, vocals) to the party and formally established The Undertaking!.

In 2019, they released an EP, became a staple in the San Diego music scene, and immediately caught the eye of Solid State Records. After signing with the label in 2020, they began recording their debut full-length, Funeral Psalms. The album is all grit and all punch, with lyrics that dig deep and music that swings for the fences. Themes of anxiety and depression are wrapped in a record laced with pop and ’90s punk, capitalizing on the freedom to vocalize lament while having a good time. The Undertaking! aim to tell the truth with all fun, no frills, and a bunch of cordless guitars.

JC got a chance to sit down with Austin to talk about being locked down, how they’ve stayed connected with their fans, and their new album.