Chris Arey on February 15th, 2023

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Crocodiles, the San Diego-based indie rock duo that is Brandon Welchez and Charles Rowell, have unveiled the first blast from their long-awaited eighth LP, “Upside Down in Heaven,” due out on April 7 via Lolipop Records.

The first single, “Degeneration,” is an upbeat poppy tune that riffs on the chorus of the Who’s classic “My Generation.” The lively song was recorded in September 2021 at Quiksilver Studios in France. Produced by Maxime Smadja, engineered by Mako and mixed by Mark Rains, “Degeneration” is a song that narrates the process of channeling negative energy into something positive. It’s about not giving in when giving is all you can think about.

“‘Degeneration’ was written in the boiling, diseased summer of 2020 where I found myself overworked, underpaid and choking on wildfire smoke,” Welchez says. “The free time I had was spent doom-scrolling the latest COVID death toll or inundating myself with news of literal fascists marching the streets. I found myself floating on a cloud of anger, fear and frustration. Rather than allow myself to fall into bad old habits or succumb to my negative emotions, I poured myself into my music. Talking about my degeneration beats actively seeking it out.”

In the video for “Degeneration,” directed by Welchez and Kate Clover, with whom Crocodiles have previously collaborated, we see a talk show host introduce the duo as they put on an entertaining show that starts strong but as times goes on, they begin to melt from an excessive, unknown heat source.

||| Watch: The video for “Degeneration”

||| Previously:  “Telepathic Lover”