Dexter and The Moonrocks are carrying their breakout 2026 momentum straight into the fall. The Texas quartet has announced its forthcoming full-length debut, Friends That I Don’t Like, arriving Oct. 2 via Severance Records/Big Loud Rock. Alongside the announcement, the band has released its new single, “It’s A Lot,” accompanied by a cinematic music video.
The release comes as Dexter and The Moonrocks continue their rapid rise following the success of “Freakin’ Out,” their genre-blurring breakout hit that has amassed more than 200 million global streams. The track recently earned an official RIAA Platinum certification and spent five weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart, while also breaking into the Billboard Hot 100.
The band is also set to make its late-night television debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where it will perform “Freakin’ Out.” “It’s A Lot” offers a preview of the new album’s rock-forward direction, pairing hard-driving rhythms and guitar-heavy melodies with lyrics centered on frustration, emotional exhaustion and the pressures accompanying a life-changing year. “[To] four kids from small town Texas, sometimes it can be a lot,” guitarist Ryan Anderson said of the track.
For drummer Fox, the new album represents the band embracing its identity rather than trying to fit neatly into a genre. “Are we country, grunge, alt rock, southern rock? Honestly, who cares,” he said. “All I know is that we’re here and we aren’t going anywhere.”
Friends That I Don’t Like will also feature previously released songs including “If You Could Talk,” “12 Steps” featuring Treaty Oak Revival and “Freakin’ Out,” with the complete tracklist still to be announced.
Photo credit: Derek Hockemeyer
The album arrives during a major touring stretch for the Abilene, Texas-based group, which has been selling out venues on its headline run while also appearing on select dates with Shinedown and Turnpike Troubadours. Upcoming festival appearances include Rocklahoma, Strummingbird Festival and Austin City Limits. With their self-described “Western Space Grunge” sound continuing to blur the lines between country, alternative and rock, Dexter and The Moonrocks are entering the next chapter of their breakout year with plenty of momentum—and a debut album ready to turn up the volume.