Gash Sign To Angel Tapes/Fire Talk, Announce New Album (out September 25), & Share Lead Single/Video, "good and bad"

“gash is [Eau Claire’s] great export right now. And I think they're just doing such inventive work, and I just love their music, and they represent, I don't know, Eau Claire's identity of always do your own thing. And do it for yourself." — Justin Vernon of Bon Iver

gash — the mercurial Eau Claire quintet newly signed to Fire Talk Records’ emerging artists imprint Angel Tapes — announce at least you know what you’re laughing at, their new album out September 25th, and present its lead single/video, “good and bad.” at least you know what you’re laughing at presents the most holistic version of gash, a reflection on trauma that allows the space for rage to inevitably percolate. Stitching samples from founder Logan Nyberg’s digitized home videos alongside guitar-based compositions, at least you know what you’re laughing at is both personal and guarded — a collage of confessions which offer intimacy at arm’s length.

“I feel like The Joker,” vocalist Breckelle Bathke giggles toward the end of opening track “good and bad,” before unleashing a gutteral scream that gives way for gash’s 8-track label debut. “I don’t know if we were recording or if you just wanted to scream,” gash founder Logan Nyberg recalls, the details of this extemporaneous session in Bathke’s car fuzzy from memory. It’s one of many moments across at least you know what you’re laughing at (and gash’s prolific discography at-large) which blur the line between recording session and sample, earnest accident or ironic impulse, the thin lace veil between music and exorcism.

“good and bad” is presented alongside a music video helmed by Kyle Scherber. “Kyle is a visual artist that went to UWEC, and after graduating this year moved to Minneapolis,” gash say of the “good and bad” video. They continue: “While Kyle was in Eau Claire, he was heavily involved in the DIY scene, doing visuals for local shows and DJ-ing house shows. We wanted Kyle to do the video because he’s always working more and more ambitiously, and we were curious to see what he could bring to gash’s music.”

Later this week, gash embark on a headline tour with stops in Austin, Dallas, Oklahoma City and more, culminating in a hometown performance at Bon Iver’s Eaux Claires Festival. A full list of tour dates are below, and tickets are on sale now.

Watch gash's "good and bad" Music Video 

gash began as an outlet for Nyberg (guitar/vocals/production), his Wisconsin homecoming following a brief stint in California. Alongside longtime friends Mitchell Smuhl (guitar) and Eric Simmons (drums), gash formed in the late 2010s against midwest impulses toward acoustic sentimentalism. Instead, gash opt to explore the emotions formed across nights spent at sweaty basement shows. Through countless performances — often at Nyberg’s own home DIY venue — gash garnered a reputation for cathartic underground sets, and gathered a crew of appreciators-turned-bandmates along the way. “I was like, ‘Damn, you brought all these crazy people here?! Shit...,” Batkhe (vocals/guitar/percussion) jokes of her time as a gash fan, over which she developed her relationship with the band by volunteering her talents as a visual artist for gash cover artwork and fliers. Bathke joined gash properly in 2025, following years of recording band vocals on the low. Completing the gash band is Ricky Christensen (bass/keys), who joined in 2020 through similar fashion: attending and playing gigs at Nyberg’s house.

Following years of sporadically releasing loose artifacts, at least you know what you’re laughing at began mainly as digital compositions, a stumbled-upon sample giving way to a guitar lick then uploaded to Google Drive and mulled over by the entire band. Workshopped following a 2025 self-booked tour (gash’s first outing in their current formation), at least you know what you’re laughing at is marked by a newfound ease that emanates through each track. Anchored by Nyberg’s honed confidence as a producer, as well as the years spent as friends and loose collaborators in the Eau Claire scene, at least you know what you’re laughing at commands its space with unflinching precision. The result is a real-time snapshot at “the new gash,” straddling digital textures and noise-rock impulses which span post-hardcore howls to tender indie twinkles.

“Sometimes I would just go in my car and scream,” Bathke recalls of the period in which at least you know what you’re laughing at was crafted, acknowledging the irrelevance of whether a moment was truly intentional or not. For gash, the immutable reactions to parsing through pain over time is essential, and the band situates the album among environments in which listeners have the space to sit with their thoughts. A solo camping trip, a drive along the Chippewa River, a bike ride as the seasons change. “Nature is fire, it’s kind of giving rebirth for me, it’s like...” Bathke trails as Nyberg completes: “It’s like change.”

pre-order 'at least you know what you're laughing at' 

at least you know what you’re laughing at Tracklist

1. good and bad

2. godded

3. risking heaven

4. professional

5. holiday time

6. eyelids

7. data master

8. at least you know what you’re laughing at

gash Tour Dates

• Thu. Jul. 9 - Omaha, NE @ Petshop
• Fri. Jul. 10 - Wichita, KS @ Lumberyard
• Sat. Jul. 11 - Lawrence, KS @ Replay Lounge
• Sun. Jul. 12 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Resonant Head
• Mon. Jul. 13 - Denton, TX @ Rubber Glove
• Tue. Jul. 14 - Austin, TX @ Chess Club
• Wed. Jul. 15 - Dallas, TX @ TBA
• Thu. Jul. 16 - Tulsa, OK @ Whittier Bar
• Fri. Jul. 17 - Columbia, MO @ Rose Music Hall
• Sat. Jul. 17 - Davenport, IA @ Skatepark Show
• Sat. Jul. 25 - Eau Claire, WI @ Eaux Claires Festival