Been Stellar – “Breakaway” [Video]

Been Stellar aren’t slowing down in 2025. The NYC five-piece just dropped their first single of the year, “Breakaway,” and it’s a fuzzed-out, gut-punch of a track that balances raw emotion with jagged hooks. It’s the kind of song that feels like screaming out your windows on the FDR at 2am—rage, regret, and maybe a little hope bleeding through the noise.

Frontman Sam Slocum says the band aimed to bottle up a swirl of feelings—“sadness, anger, regret, and ultimately optimism.” Guitarist Skyler Knapp kicked things off with the initial riff, and once the band brought it into the studio with producer Aron Kobayashi Ritch, the whole thing clicked. Tracked live, “Breakaway” carries that room-shaking energy.

The new track follows the band’s relentless 2024 run, which included the release of their Headphone Approved debut full-length Scream from New York, NY via Dirty Hit, tours with The 1975 and Fontaines D.C., and a string of packed-out headline shows. That record introduced a darker, sharper edge to their sound—ditching early shoegaze roots for something noisier and more combustible. Think Sonic Youth sneering through Interpol’s shadows, with flashes of Iceage’s bleak beauty and the off-kilter unease of The Bends-era Radiohead.

Scream from New York, NY doesn’t pull punches. It captures a city constantly on the brink, where affection feels rationed and everyone’s just trying to stay above water. It’s not about finding peace—it’s about finding something real to hold onto as the walls close in.

If you missed the singles that led up to the album—“Sweet,” “All In One,” “Pumpkin,” and the gnarly “Passing Judgment”—go catch up. But start with “Breakaway.” It’s a perfect snapshot of where Been Stellar are heading: bold, bruised, and completely alive.

Been Stellar — 2025 Tour Dates
June 4 – Sala Nazca – Madrid, ES
June 5 – Primavera Sound – Barcelona, ES
June 9 – Nuits De Fourvière – Lyon, FR *
June 10 – Théâtre Antique – Arles, FR *
June 12 – Radar Estudios – Vigo, ES
June 13 – Primavera Sound – Porto, ES
July 5 – Finsbury Park – London, UK *
July 8 – Blind – Istanbul, TR
August 7–9 – Haldern Pop – Rees, NRW
August 15 – Pukkelpop – Hasselt, BE
August 22 – Reading Festival – Reading, UK
August 23 – Leeds Festival – Leeds, UK

with Fontaines D.C.

BEEN STELLAR LINKS
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