Love Fiend

Love Fiend craft an energetic fusion of pop and rock that incorporates both the crunch of pop-punk guitars and the shimmer of synth-pop keyboards alongside drum machines. Based in Los Angeles, the band honors rock traditions while steering the style toward fresh and surprising paths. Their playful wit surfaces in the label bio, which notes that their songs contain no curse words and that the members grew up in small towns with supportive parents; that same sense of fun fuels the group's abundant live energy. They first earned notice through a set of unpolished, spirited recordings gathered on the 2024 collection Singles 2020-2023. Working with John Dwyer of Osees at his Discount Mirror Studio, the quartet achieved a more focused and polished result on their debut full-length, Handle With Care, released by In The Red Records in July 2024.

The band originated in Oakland, California, in 2015 when lead vocalist and guitarist Jesse Summers joined forces with his brother Owen Summers on bass and backing vocals plus Owen Barrett on drums and percussion. Drawing initial inspiration from the high-impact rock of the Who and AC/DC, they began composing songs and performing on the local club circuit. Their earliest releases arrived in 2019: the six-track studio EP Universe and the eight-song live document Live Fiend, captured at a February show in San Francisco. Additional material followed as digital singles. In 2022 the group relocated from Oakland to Los Angeles and expanded to a quartet with the arrival of Raymond Schmidt, who contributes keyboards, guitar, and backing vocals. Their audience grew, prompting the 2024 release of Singles 2020-2023 to compile those earlier tracks. John Dwyer’s subsequent production role helped shape the album Handle With Care.