The Pretty Flowers will release a new single, “Came Back Kicking,” on January 12, 2026, marking the first preview of their forthcoming third album, Never Felt Bitter. The full-length record is scheduled to arrive March 27, 2026, via Chicago-based Forge Again Records.
Formed in Los Angeles in 2013 by songwriter Noah Green, The Pretty Flowers solidified their core lineup in 2018 with Green on vocals and guitar, Sam Tiger on bass and backing vocals, Jake Gideon on guitar and backing vocals, and Sean Johnson on drums and percussion. That year, the band released its debut album, Why Trains Crash, followed in 2023 by A Company Sleeve, a record that further established the group’s reputation for tightly crafted, high-impact indie rock.
Never Felt Bitter represents the band’s first release for Forge Again Records and reflects years of steady touring and live performance across Southern California and beyond. The album’s material was shaped over hundreds of shows in small clubs and bars, where the group refined a blend of pop melody and raw physical intensity. The Pretty Flowers have become known for writing anthems aimed at outsiders and underdogs, a reputation that has made them one of Los Angeles’ most respected underground acts.
The album was written and recorded during a period of heightened uncertainty in the band’s hometown, with political unrest, wildfires, and immigration raids forming part of the backdrop. Drummer Sean Johnson said the atmosphere informed the tone of the new songs. “There’s a sense of urgency, fear and confusion that comes across in these new songs,” he said. “Like each song might be the last song we write, or this might be the last album. If anything, it’s the most present we’ve ever been.”
Bassist Sam Tiger described the album as a collective effort shaped by the band’s internal dynamic. “We all put a piece of ourselves into this album, some combination of our mental, physical, and emotional selves,” he said. “Never Felt Bitter is an album only the four of us together could make. It’s a push and pull. Discussions, arguments, agreements and trust. I couldn’t be more proud of what we worked together to create.”
Musically, the record carries traces of influences such as The Replacements, Teenage Fanclub, and Wilco, though the band has emphasized that it is not seeking to revive any particular era. Guitarist Jake Gideon said the group’s goals have always centered on creative freedom rather than commercial ambition. “When your goals as a band do not include fame and fortune,” he said, “it gives you a freedom to follow your instincts and focus on the real reasons you were compelled to make art in the first place.”
Green echoed that view, framing each release as part of a longer continuum rather than a single commercial moment. “The career is not the point,” he said. “You make music and place it in a stream of musical history. A release date is just its first day. Maybe it’s picked up now, or maybe 20 years from now. But from this date onward, it gets a life.”
“Came Back Kicking” is now available to stream, as Never Felt Bitter will follow on March 27, 2026, through Forge Again Records.
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