Subculture Fred

Sorry State Records is proud to present Fred, the unreleased 1986 EP from Winston-Salem, North Carolina’s Subculture. Recorded the year after their 1985 debut, I Heard a Scream, the six tracks that comprise Fred were left uncompleted and shelved when the band broke up later that year. While a rough mix has circulated among tape traders, Fred presents these songs in their finished form for the first time, remixed from the original multi-track tapes by John Pfiffner and mastered by Brent Lambert at the Kitchen. Compared to I Heard a Scream, the version of Subculture we hear on Fred features a fleshed-out lineup with nearly two years of additional musical (though not necessarily social) maturity. Subculture spent the time between Ihas and Fred rehearsing and gigging obsessively, and consequently Fred is a more ambitious and musically accomplished set of songs. Fred also reflects the influence of the crossover scene blossoming at the time with D.R.I. and (especially) hometown heroes and mentors Corrosion of Conformity. Fans of C.O.C.’s Animosity will flip for Fred’s lurching and lunging rhythms, and while “Bad Desperation” finds Subculture at their fastest and most vicious, the closing “KC Comes to Town” exhibits the sense of humor that made Subculture perfect touring companions for Nofx in the 80s.

Fred is dedicated to the memory of Subculture guitarist Fred Hutchinson, who passed away in 2023. Fred’s sense of humor made him a beloved band member and tourmate, and his restless musicality and metal chops helped define Subculture’s sound on Fred. The band’s proceeds from the album Fred will go to Fred Hutchinson’s family—with love and remembrance.