Die Spitz is the exhilarating quartet hailing from Austin, Texas, who have been blazing the punk-rock scene. Known for their on-stage instrument swaps, fluid, constantly moving crowds that may require a venture down into them, and occasionally climbing a bar top or rafter, they’re an unpredictable act to catch. The band has accomplished a ton within their first couple of years, opening for acts as strong as Amyl and the Sniffers, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, and Olivia Rodrigo’s upcoming tour, as well as taking part in Outside Lands and Lollapalooza.
As they coast-hop the US with this packed schedule, their debut album, “Something to Consume," is rapidly approaching its first birthday following its release on September 12, 2025. Looking back, with time for the album to grow and find legs among fans, Die Spitz have had a forbiddenly fruitful year. Their labor is yielding a devoted following that has sold out the majority of their remaining headlining shows, demanding additional dates to satiate the crowd’s appetite.
It's as easy as playing a song to understand why; their music is aggressive and enthralling from anywhere you land in their discography. This album is full of hard-hitting moments that are refreshing from a debut, serving as a vicious introduction that cuts their name into your memory.
“Throw Yourself to the Sword,” powerfully delivered by lead vocalist Eleanor Livingston, is a special moment on side A. Introduced by a lonely, chugging guitar, the harsh intro immediately stinks your face before a deep bass and teasing drums begin exponentially growing their sound. It peaks in an echoing war cry of vocals from Livingston, careening from deep within the music to the front lines for an engaging first verse. The energetic chorus demands your movement while the band offers its timing; it's hard to stay still.
Punctuated by my other favorite of the album’s first half, “American Porn” chomps its predecessor's heels as it keeps the energy up in a more lyrically driven critique of the industry they’re forced to take part in. Showcasing Ava Schrobilgen’s powerful scream that captured my attention on the initial listen, it still keeps me replaying this track to engage with the heavy emotion it carries. A screech as emotional as it is exhausting, it drips with the aggression and grudge of a group of artists that have often been judged on their appearance before their music. The rage within its bars is palpable and infectious.
Being a new face in punk rock and composed of all women, the group sees the challenges they face as motivators. Embracing it as a chance to inject their politics into the music they create, as the genre has always meant to be. Their aggression, activism, and self-expression are just so refreshing to see on stage. In a time when the world faces such uncertainty and instability, where the majority of people act as if the seas have always been this rocky, it’s not just wanted; it’s needed to have a group of young women in the space unafraid to take the spotlight by force and shine it on the crowd needing to find, defend, and stick up for one another. In such a male-dominated field like this one, a band like Die Spitz challenges what the stage typically looks like just by existing, but they own it. This group lights a fire each time they perform, and that fire will catch you regardless of judgment or reluctance once they strike their instruments.
The well-rounded album continues through explorations of relationships with “Punishers,” sung by Chloe De St. Aubin, who trades drums and guitar with Schrobilgen in order to get up to the mic and perform. The band is incredibly talented and multiskilled in a way that is exciting as a fan to dig into and learn the subtle and overt differences of playing, singing, and writing. On the note of their shows being exciting, bassist Kate Halter is known for her zany energy and acrobatics, usually not ending a performance without getting upside down at least once.
As they continue to grow and mature into a more established band, many are waiting to see what it is they’ll do next. Though featuring a bit of simple songwriting in some areas, “Something to Consume” is an incredibly impressive album with strong replayability. A year out, their debut serves as an accurate promise of a career to come, one that they’ve delivered since. Die Spitz chugs through shows as headliner and support from now through May of 2027, stopping throughout the US before jumping the pond to traverse Europe. Sometimes the best way to describe a band is just exciting, and at the start of an incredible journey to come, Die Spitz is that and more.
