About this episode

Gregg Deal discusses the upcoming album 'Wagon Burner' by Dead Pioneers and the emotions surrounding its release.

Denver, Colorado punk collective Dead Pioneers return with their fierce third studio album, Wagon Burner. Set for release on 26 June 2026 via Hassle Records, the project builds upon the momentum of their 2023 self-titled debut and 2025’s acclaimed PO$T AMERICAN. Fronted by Indigenous visual performance artist and activist Gregg Deal, Dead Pioneers' continue to blend the raw fury of hardcore punk with biting spoken-word commentary, channelling the contemporary Indigenous experience, historical trauma, and political resistance. While their previous work relied heavily on targeted individual statements, Wagon Burner represents a more unified, collaborative writing effort by the full band. Musically, it is their heaviest and hardest record to date, yet it remains intensely accessible, striking a delicate balance between abrasive noise-punk melee and viciously catchy hooks. HEAVY caught up with Deal to find out more, asking him how he is feeling about the album close to release date. "Honestly, there's a lot of emotions," he measured. "I kind of go through peaks and valleys. I'm excited about it, and then I'm not sure. We do these releases, and sometimes they do really well. And…

People in this episode

Guest: Gregg Deal

Topics covered

• punk music
• album release
• Indigenous experience
• political commentary
• collaborative writing
• music industry emotions

Keywords

• Dead Pioneers
• Wagon Burner
• Gregg Deal
• punk
• Hassle Records
• Indigenous
• music commentary
• album emotions

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Dead Pioneers, Hassle Records

Books & works: Wagon Burner, PO$T AMERICAN, self-titled debut

Places: Denver, Colorado

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