Kurt Baker opened 2026 with a double-sided statement. His new 7-inch and digital single pairs the original “Undertow Afterglow” with a cover of Paul McCartney’s “My Brave Face,” originally co-written with Elvis Costello, out now via Wicked Cool Records. The release marks the label’s first single of the new year and continues Baker’s long-running relationship with Little Steven Van Zandt’s imprint. Best known for his hook-heavy rock and roll rooted in classic pop structure and punk urgency, Baker has built his reputation through relentless touring across the U.S., Europe, and Japan, drawing comparisons to Ramones and Green Day along the way.
“Undertow Afterglow” came together fast. Written in Brooklyn with collaborator Dan Miraldi, the song captures the push and pull of relationships with the kind of melodic immediacy Baker has built his name on. “He came over to my apartment in Brooklyn, and we ended up writing ‘Undertow Afterglow’ in minutes,” Baker says. “The chorus just came to me instantly. This song really exemplifies the ups and downs of life, especially in relationships, getting pulled in by the undertow, yet holding out for the light at the end of the tunnel, the afterglow.” The personal weight behind the song is real. Baker moved to New York, went through a divorce, and pulled back from touring through much of 2025 before finding his way back to the music.
The B-side deepens the picture. McCartney’s “My Brave Face” is a song about masking heartbreak behind bright pop melodies, and for Baker the fit was immediate. “It’s about putting on a cheerful front to hide heartbreak and inner turmoil after a breakup, pretending to be okay when you’re falling apart inside,” he explains. “A classic pop song with a sad, unresolved core. So yeah, it hits home.” Listeners are already pointing to this single as some of the most emotionally direct work of his career, a natural next step from his 2023 full-length ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Club,’ which cemented his place as one of modern power pop’s most dependable voices.