Colchester four-piece Pet Needs will release their fourth studio album ‘Elbows Out! This Is Capitalism’, out on March 27 - and they are heading back to the new city, to celebrate the new disc.
The album was written throughout 2025 in a busy year that saw them zig zag across the UK, US and Europe in a relentless schedule of headline tours, support tours and festivals.
Pet Needs never stay still for long, driven by their enduring pursuit of being creative, the pull of playing music and connecting with fans. But touring is also a financial necessity. Being a punk band building things up from the bottom is hard graft in an industry dominated by streaming, social media saturation and big marketing budgets.
It is fitting then that their new album tackles some of these themes head-on - a satirical look at the pitfalls of trying to make it as a DIY punk band.
The album charts the exploits of the band buying a second-hand punk rock career at auction and trying (and failing) to make it work. Over the course of the genre-spanning 12 tracks, the story unfolds with a mix of frenetic punk rock defiance; reflective melodic introspection and beat heavy party anthems alongside guest appearances by CJ Ramone, legendary auctioneer Erik Olson and friends The Whops and Jess Guise whose interludes help the story develop.
“There has to be a reason why people continue to pursue creative careers when on paper the industry is built to break them," said frontman Johnny Marriott, "The power of the present - the writing, the shows, and the human connection - supersedes it all. Being a musician right now is an act of defiance. Even with artificial intelligence and late capitalism doing everything they can to force our hands, we won't stop.
"We wanted to make an album that people would love to listen to all the way through, so we decided to tell a story. Each member brought their own flair to this record. It feels vital. We're really proud of it.”
Recorded by George Perks (Enter Shikari, You Me At Six, Mogwai, Skindred) it follows the release of their Top 20 album ‘Intermittent Fast Living’ two years ago.
Playing across the country in grassroot indie venues, the band will be performing the songs for the first time ever to introduce their fervent fan base to the new album, and they'll see new city folk at The Craufurd Arms on March 20.
