Indie rock group Breakup Shoes has today released the deceptively upbeat and dance-y “Malaise”, streaming now Here . Fans can also read more about the new single – taken from the band’s forthcoming album Standing Still–exclusively on Under The Radar. Standing Still was produced by Charlie Brand (Miniature Tigers) and features previous singles “Copacetic” and “Brainwashed”. The album is set to be released on October 10th. To pre-order, please visit: breakupshoes.com.
Standing Still Tracklist:
1. Moving On Is Hard
2. Brainwash
3. The Suburbs
4. Malaise
5. Universal
6. Anti Social Socialite
7. Midwest Goodbye
8. Copacetic
9. Infinitely Sweet
10. …But So Is Standing Still
On the new single, vocalist/guitarist Nick Zawisa shares: “I wrote ‘Malaise’ from a place of stagnation and complacency. I had just gotten back from visiting some friends in New York and was frustrated at how stuck I was feeling in the sweltering Phoenix heat and had convinced myself that I needed a big change to break me out of the comfortable spell of the mundane. That inflection point is what this song is about; realizing you need to make a change and following through instead of getting in your own way.”
He continues: “In the demo stage, ‘Malaise’ had a bit of a darker, shoegaze vibe but when it came time to track it, we started with some simple disco-drums and wanted to lean into a dancier vibe. So we let the bassline take the driver’s seat. We then buttoned it up with synths, bongos, reverbed out tom fills and some glockenspiel, while sprinkling in some guitar hooks. We were just having fun in the studio with this one; leaving a long instrumental bridge/outro because it felt good and we didn’t want the song to stop.”
Breakup Shoes will be touring the West Coast this fall with Felly starting on October 23rd. Fans can catch the band live in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Salt Lake City, and more. For a full list of dates or to purchase tickets, please visit https://www.breakupshoes.com/tour.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
10/23 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo
10/25 – Solana Beach, CA @ Music Box
10/29 – Santa Barbara CA @ Soho Restaurant & Music Club
10/30 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Moe’s Alley
11/1 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
11/2 – Reno, NV @ Cypress Reno
11/4 – Portland, OR @ Holocene
11/5 – Seattle, WA @ Madame Lou’s
11/7 – Vancouver, BC @ The Pearl
11/8 – Bellingham, WA @ Wild Buffalo House of Music
11/11 – Boise, ID @ Shrine Social Club
11/12 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Soundwell
11/13 – Fort Collins, CO @ For The Crows Tour
11/14 – Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre
Arizona alt-indie act Breakup Shoes has no plans of stopping anytime soon.
Formed in 2015 by close high school friends, now 10 years later, the hardworking group has evolved into their current lineup — Nick Zawisa (vocals / guitar), Matthew Witsoe (drums), Michael Montiel (bass) and Michael Cully (guitar) — thanks in part to the DIY show culture across their hometown of Phoenix and leaning into extensive US touring with bands like Summer Salt, WILLIS, Phoneboy and more.
From 2016’s acclaimed debut EP, Nicotine Dream, the band has proceeded to self-release two additional EPs as well as three full-length albums — with 2018’s Unrequited Love (& other clichés) garnering nearly fifty million streams across platforms.
Most recently the band put out 2023’s The Death of Everything Worrisome. The eight-track LP — featuring singles “At Least I’ve Still Got Some Friends,” “Rat Race” and “Get Lost” — is an earnest reflection on modern anxiety that balances blunt vulnerability with catchy hooks and melodies.
Moving into the second half of 2025, Breakup Shoes is set to release their highly anticipated follow-up titled, Standing Still.
Produced by Charlie Brand (Miniature Tigers), someone who was hugely influential to the group, Breakup Shoes says they found a great “sonic match” for their upcoming record.
“[Charlie] helped us forge a new chapter in our sound that is ambitious and original while still keeping the earnest lyricism and storytelling that Breakup Shoes is known for front and center,” says Nick Zawisa.
“The album chronicles the story of my last few years, centered around feeling dissatisfaction with the status quo,” Zawisa adds. “It grapples with feeling stuck, complacent, and unhappy; all the feelings that culminated in uprooting my life and moving across the country.”
The band’s infectious lead single “Brainwash” is streaming worldwide now, with the album releasing October 10th, 2025 and is available for pre-order now at breakupshoes.com.