Arriving today (March 27), Fcukers’ debut full-length effort, Ö, stands as a triumphant milestone—not merely for its chic, experimental, and infectious energy, but because there was a time when its very existence seemed uncertain.
The New York-based dance-rock outfit—comprised of Shanny Wise and Jackson Walker Lewis—erupted onto the scene with their 2024 EP Baggy$$. That project instantly transformed them into critical darlings and positioned them as one of the most compelling acts in the post-Brat electronic landscape. With tracks like “Bon Bon” and “Homie Don’t Shake,” they forged a sonic identity that seamlessly wove together club-ready beats, jagged guitar riffs, and disco flourishes, all anchored by Wise’s ethereal, high-pitched vocals. It was a sound that placed Fcukers firmly in the lineage of indie-sleaze royalty and the legendary DFA Records catalog.
Following the EP’s success in late 2024, the duo hit the global festival circuit, appearing at Portola and Pitchfork London while picking up high-profile admirers ranging from Billie Eilish to James Murphy. By February 2025, they were tapped as the opening act for Tame Impala’s massive Deadbeat World Tour. While the momentum was undeniable, the weight of expectation began to feel like a burden.
“We never anticipated touring for an entire year based on just one EP,” Lewis admits. “The success was so sudden that the debut album didn’t just feel like a first record; it carried the heavy expectations usually reserved for a sophomore release. Usually, a debut is your chance to introduce yourself, but we had already established a specific brand. We found ourselves wondering, ‘Where do we go from here?’”
Lewis confesses that the pressure eventually became overwhelming. “I had so many voices telling me that the next move had to be perfect. I eventually hit a wall. I told the label to scrap the deadlines—I told them they might not get any new music for a year because I just wasn’t in a good place mentally.”
A serendipitous turn of events occurred while the pair were in Los Angeles for their Coachella debut last April. Their management arranged a casual meeting with renowned producer Kenneth Blume, better known as Kenny Beats. At the time, Blume had just wrapped production on Geese’s debut, Getting Killed, which had yet to be released. “He wasn’t necessarily the first person everyone was talking about at that exact moment,” Lewis notes.
Even for Wise and Lewis, the meeting was meant to be low-stakes. “We were actually on our way to other plans,” Wise recalls. “The idea was just to drop in for a quick coffee.” However, that brief encounter sparked an immediate creative fire. Within hours, they had written two new songs, effectively shattering the creative block that had paralyzed them. They cleared their calendars and moved into Blume’s studio for the remainder of the week.
“We ended up spending two weeks straight with him, and during that window, we wrote and recorded the bulk of the album,” says Wise. Aside from two older sketches, the entire project was built from the ground up. Wise attributes their speed to the complete trust they had in Blume’s technical mastery. “It freed us to focus purely on the songwriting. We didn’t have to stress over whether a kick drum sounded right; we knew he’d make it sound phenomenal.”
The trio settled into a grueling but inspired 11-hour daily rhythm. “It was intense,” Wise says. “We’d grab coffee at 9:00 a.m., head straight to the studio, work until 8:00 p.m., crash, and repeat.” By the end of the first week, they were averaging three songs a day. The second week was spent polishing the 11 tracks that would become Ö—a title inspired by Prince’s symbol era and the duo’s desire to move beyond overused English words.
Featuring additional production from 100 gecs’ Dylan Brady, the album is released via Ninja Tune, a label Lewis describes as “one of the few institutions capable of supporting a project that bridges the gap between a live band and pure electronic music.”
Before the inception of Fcukers, both Wise and Lewis, now 28, were veterans of the New York indie scene. Lewis spent his nights DJing vinyl-only house sets while working behind bars. Though they moved in the same circles, it took a mutual friend to bring them together, where they discovered a shared fascination with electronic production.
“I was spinning a lot of ’90s house at clubs like Le Bain,” Lewis says. “I loved that feeling of a packed room. When Shanny and I started talking, it wasn’t about some grand ambition; we just thought it would be a blast to create the kind of music I was playing in my sets.”
Wise brought a different perspective. “I hadn’t really listened to house music before meeting Jackson. We approach the genre from different angles, which I think gives our music its unique edge. I didn’t have any preconceived rules about how I should sing over these beats.”
While both were proficient multi-instrumentalists, the transition to electronic music was a learning curve. “Shanny asked me if I knew how to produce electronic tracks, and I told her, ‘Not yet, but we’ll figure it out,’” Lewis laughs. They eventually landed on a hybrid sound that draws from trap, drum & bass, UK garage, and R&B, infused with the Y2K energy of artists like Outkast, Nelly, and Lily Allen.
Fcukers are set to take this eclectic sound on the road for a massive 42-date tour running from April through September. The itinerary includes headlining dates across North America and the UK, major festival appearances at Bonnaroo and Primavera Sound, and high-profile support slots for Rüfüs Du Sol and Harry Styles in São Paulo. For a band that almost didn’t make it to their first album, the experience is surreal.
“We recently played three sold-out nights in London, and hearing the crowd sing every lyric back to us gave me chills,” Wise says. “I’ve toured with plenty of other bands, but I’ve never felt this level of connection. You don’t always notice the growth when you’re in the middle of it, but then you have a moment like that and realize how far you’ve come.”
Lewis agrees, adding: “We’ve already exceeded my wildest expectations. Everything that happens from here on out is just a bonus.”
