Biography
Hailing from Minneapolis, the indie rock trio Bad Bad Hats crafts compact, tuneful melodies infused with pop sensibilities and a subtly cynical outlook on their surroundings. They reshape current pop conventions into fresh forms, then channel the results through guitar, bass, and drums, yielding tracks that appeal to broad listeners while still offering clever details and layered sounds that engage more exploratory ears. The group first reached listeners beyond their local scene via the 2013 EP It Hurts; their initial full-length release, 2015’s Psychic Reader, drew strong critical notices and built a dedicated following; and they advanced to a larger, established imprint for 2021’s Walkman. A collaborative songwriting effort that incorporated input from supporters allowed them to stretch their range on 2024’s Bad Bad Hats.
Kerry Alexander on guitar and vocals and multi-instrumentalist Chris Hoge launched Bad Bad Hats in 2010 after meeting as students at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. Florida-born Alexander had already been presenting her own material alongside covers during campus acoustic sets, and Hoge took note of her abilities. He began following the tracks she shared online, a fact she soon recognized, and after exchanging thoughts on music he offered to handle drums for several of her compositions, leading them to start a band. Their first recording appeared as the 2012 demo Grow Up, with Alexander handling guitar and vocals while Hoge covered guitar, bass, and drums in the studio. The lineup became a trio once Noah Boswell joined on bass, after which they performed regularly throughout the Twin Cities. Afternoon Records, a Minneapolis label, issued the five-song EP It Hurts in 2013, and its title track accumulated substantial streams on major platforms. The band delivered its debut album, Psychic Reader, in 2015 and increased its touring schedule as favorable reviews and grassroots momentum expanded its reach.
The year 2018 brought several milestones: Alexander and Hoge married, the band finished and released its second album, Lightning Round, and shortly after the record appeared Noah Boswell departed amicably to pursue graduate studies. Hoge shifted from drums to bass while Connor Davison assumed percussion duties. The revised lineup maintained an active concert schedule, appearing alongside the Front Bottoms, the Beths, Hippo Campus, and Margaret Glaspy. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced nationwide lockdowns in 2020, Bad Bad Hats curtailed live dates yet remained engaged through a “Song Club” subscription that delivered a new track each month to members, along with livestreamed shows and additional perks. While sustaining those subscriber activities, the trio kept writing and practicing, resulting in the third album Walkman, issued in 2021 as their first project for the established independent punk label Don Giovanni Records.
Bad Bad Hats earned the opening slot on Michelle Branch’s international tour in 2022, a meaningful experience for Alexander, who had drawn strong early inspiration from Branch. Beginning in 2020, Alexander and Hoge started soliciting ideas from Patreon subscribers, whose suggestions supplied themes and stylistic directions for new material. The pair began composing on request, an approach that encouraged them to venture beyond familiar territory into areas such as country, disco, and surf music. This process shaped the creative direction of the 2024 album Bad Bad Hats, their second release for Don Giovanni, which the group self-produced; for the lead single “TPA” they filmed a humorous video depicting a Florida vacation in which Alexander’s mother and stepfather appear as older versions of Kerry and Chris.
Kerry Alexander on guitar and vocals and multi-instrumentalist Chris Hoge launched Bad Bad Hats in 2010 after meeting as students at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. Florida-born Alexander had already been presenting her own material alongside covers during campus acoustic sets, and Hoge took note of her abilities. He began following the tracks she shared online, a fact she soon recognized, and after exchanging thoughts on music he offered to handle drums for several of her compositions, leading them to start a band. Their first recording appeared as the 2012 demo Grow Up, with Alexander handling guitar and vocals while Hoge covered guitar, bass, and drums in the studio. The lineup became a trio once Noah Boswell joined on bass, after which they performed regularly throughout the Twin Cities. Afternoon Records, a Minneapolis label, issued the five-song EP It Hurts in 2013, and its title track accumulated substantial streams on major platforms. The band delivered its debut album, Psychic Reader, in 2015 and increased its touring schedule as favorable reviews and grassroots momentum expanded its reach.
The year 2018 brought several milestones: Alexander and Hoge married, the band finished and released its second album, Lightning Round, and shortly after the record appeared Noah Boswell departed amicably to pursue graduate studies. Hoge shifted from drums to bass while Connor Davison assumed percussion duties. The revised lineup maintained an active concert schedule, appearing alongside the Front Bottoms, the Beths, Hippo Campus, and Margaret Glaspy. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced nationwide lockdowns in 2020, Bad Bad Hats curtailed live dates yet remained engaged through a “Song Club” subscription that delivered a new track each month to members, along with livestreamed shows and additional perks. While sustaining those subscriber activities, the trio kept writing and practicing, resulting in the third album Walkman, issued in 2021 as their first project for the established independent punk label Don Giovanni Records.
Bad Bad Hats earned the opening slot on Michelle Branch’s international tour in 2022, a meaningful experience for Alexander, who had drawn strong early inspiration from Branch. Beginning in 2020, Alexander and Hoge started soliciting ideas from Patreon subscribers, whose suggestions supplied themes and stylistic directions for new material. The pair began composing on request, an approach that encouraged them to venture beyond familiar territory into areas such as country, disco, and surf music. This process shaped the creative direction of the 2024 album Bad Bad Hats, their second release for Don Giovanni, which the group self-produced; for the lead single “TPA” they filmed a humorous video depicting a Florida vacation in which Alexander’s mother and stepfather appear as older versions of Kerry and Chris.
Albums
Singles
