The Regrettes, an American punk rock band, was formed in 2015 in Los Angeles by frontwoman Lydia Night. During their career, The Regrettes released three studio albums, Feel Your Feelings Fool! (2017), How Do You Love? (2019), and Further Joy (2022). On November 14, 2023, the band took to their Instagram account (@theregrettesband) to say, “If you’re reading this or you’ve been to a show or bought a record, you’ve given us all some of the best years of our lives. After all these amazing years together, we are parting ways to focus on other projects. There is absolutely nothing but love in our hearts for each other and you all and we’re eternally grateful.”
…let’s just say I was completely devastated.
Although the band has now been dismembered, it is important to focus on their accomplishments. In 2017, The Regrettes released their first studio album, Feel Your Feelings Fool! Four of the album’s songs were released as singles; “A Living Human Girl,” “Hey Now,” “Hot,” and “Seashore.” The album was met with critical acclaim from critics which praised the band’s vibe and lyric relatability.
In 2018, The Regrettes were featured on Lin Manuel Miranda’s Hamildrops, a project inspired by the musical Hamilton. Each track of Hamildrops featured a collaboration by both Broadway and independent musicians, some including Sara Bareilles, “Weird Al” Yankovic, and even former U.S President Barack Obama. The album explored different genres of music and discussed many political issues. The sixth song on the album was a cover of “Helpless,” from the Hamilton soundtrack, by The Regrettes.
In 2019, The Regrettes released their second studio album titled, How Do You Love? The singles released include, “California Friends,” “Pumpkin,” “Dress Up,” and “I Dare You.” The album was met with positive reviews because of the album's vulnerability when discussing the highs and lows of falling in and out of love. The Regrettes quickly gained fans during this time due to them being an opening act for Twenty One Pilots during their European leg of The Bandito Tour.
On April 8, 2022, The Regrettes released their third and final album, Further Joy. Unlike their previous two albums, Further Joy moved away from the punk rock genre and entered into a more synth-pop, new wave sound. The singles from the album include “Monday,” “You’re So Fucking Pretty,” “That’s What Makes Me Love You,” and “Anxieties (Out of Time).” Their third album was also widely acclaimed by critics, praising its positive message and sharp production.
To me, The Regrettes is my ultimate summer, windows down, feel-good, road trip band. The pop/punk band wrote songs focused on women's empowerment, feminism, and love. Although you might never be able to see them live again, and if you have not already, I would absolutely recommend checking them out! Some of my personal favorite songs include, “Lacy Loo,” “Stop and Go,” “Step 9,” and “Nowhere.”
The Regrettes performed their farewell show on December 21, 2023, at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles.
