Emerging from the dormant memories of basement shows, DIY venues, crashing on couches and floors on tour and the nostalgia for a more active local music scene comes another supergroup of Quad Cities musicians in the form of Camp Regret. Featuring members of past acts such as Meth & Goats, Ice Hockey and Lazer Mountain, Camp Regret may not be young pups, but they are out to prove that you can teach old dogs new tricks with their debut, self-titled album.
I grew up watching those aforementioned bands, and like the QC’s other punk “supergroup” Running Man, Camp Regret play a brand of punk rock that feels like it could be from any of the past five decades: more mature sounding, but fitting for middle-aged punk and hardcore kids like myself. That isn’t to say that younger listeners won’t find Camp Regret’s blend of punk and post-hardcore infectious. Lead single and opening track “Smoke Screen” sets the album’s revved-up tone, featuring gang vocals and a refrain of “GO GO DON’T GO!” that captures a punk classicism.
The band’s maturity comes through in their lyrics. Songs like “Go Getter” and “Agoraphobic Friend/Remain Humane” grapple with aging and surviving in late-stage capitalist hellscapes. The narrator sings to himself as much as someone else. “I wrote a short story, it is an allegory for the poor / It struck certain chords and won a few rewards, they wanted more / but you cannot sustain reproducing pain just to sustain / watch me now/ the characters were raw, they had to break the law to remain humane,” vocalist Jon Burns sings on the latter track.
Camp Regret imbues their music with a mixture of influences. Moments of noise rock work their way into the mix, in particular on the heavy nostalgia track “Summer Venues,” which recalls The Jesus Lizard and Melvins. Occasionally, Scottie Feller’s guitar licks echo the skramz of his former band, Ice Hockey, giving a chord progression the occasional emo flourish. Notably, Jon Burns’ synthesizer adds a unique flair to their sound, eschewing new wave pastiche and instead serving as either an alternate lead instrument or as a means of adding texture to the tracks. Tracks like “Most of It” and “New Zack City” feature more synth lead riffs, but retain their punk roots with ease. “I See You” threatens to go new wave, but veers into the kind of alt-rock anthem that late-era Hϋsker Dϋ would appreciate.
Through a diverse and remarkably fun collection of songs, Camp Regret has earned a place as one of my favorite Quad Cities bands. The quartet plays tight, catchy and infectious songs that recall the memories of several lifetimes of shows while also sounding fresh and new. Their live sets at the Alternating Currents festival this year were electrifying as well; despite the oppressive heat, they played with stalwart energy and charisma. If you have the opportunity to see Camp Regret live, do not miss it. While waiting for that opportunity, definitely give their record a spin. It is well worth every moment.
This article was originally published in Little Village’s November 2025 issue.
