There are things you’re not prepared for, but this isn’t about doomsday prepping fanaticism. This is actually about the Portland, Oregon-based instrumental group Trabants. While the group’s membership is ever-shifting, the band’s current lineup consists of current drummer Luke Strahota, guitarist Eric Penna, and bassist Dave Berkham. The band has amassed a healthy catalog of music and is set to release its latest album, Mirage, on June 12, 2026. The album features an array of artists, contributing their talents to the release, such as drummer Anthony Brisson, Triptides’ Glenn Brigman on Hammond & Farfisa organs, electric harpsichord and tabla, Los Straitjackets’ Pete Curry on drums for “Mirage” and drums & bass on “Fuzz 4 Daze,” Man Man’s Bryan Murphy on trumpet for “Soul Garage A Go Go,” and the legendary Ron Dziubla playing saxophone on “Purple Panther.”

The sound? Well, that’s another story and it’s what I said you’re probably not prepared for. The band doesn’t stray away from it’s own sound, which is an amalgamation of garage psych & surf, which is both cinematic and nostalgic at the same time. Trabants embraces it all through its very being. In preparation for the album’s release, the band shares its new single “Hot Brew,” and would be comfortably performed in smoky clubs or desert expanses.

Of the new single Trabants’ Eric Penna shares his thoughts:

It’s the first real song after the intro and we didn’t want to waste any time getting into it. Firstly, a guitar playing a low E note with a fuzz sound is one of the most basic, cornerstone elements in the lexicon of rock music and it seemed like a perfectly simple and effective place to start the type of album we were trying to make.

It utilizes the octave fuzz sound that’s central to this record achieved through use of a vintage Tychobrahe Octavia pedal that I found after hunting for years. It produces a sound that feels “alive” in its unpredictability. All of the fuzz sounds throughout the whole LP come from this one blue metal box. This track in particular places that guitar sound front and center. We haven’t played this song more than once or twice in front of people and we can already feel there is a certain energy in this song that comes across effortlessly. That’s always a good sign that things are working well together. There seems to be excitement in the DNA of this song.

As we’re getting into summer, I also feel like this song is a good one to kick off the hot season. There is a lot of “heat” evoked on this record in general. I thought about the desert often while recording and it kept creeping into the atmosphere. One of our recording dates for this album saw temps reach reach 115 degrees which was an all time record for Portland. The heat motiff is especially strong in this case being that it’s in the title; “Hot Brew”. It’s another good reason for it to be the first cut on the record and a perfect debut so close to the record release. So, thanks again!

Tour dates:

June 13: Portland, OR @ Music Millenium (album release in-store)

July 24: Seattle, WA @ Darrell’s Tavern for Surf X Surfwest

Aug. 2: Los Angeles area @ Surf Guitar 101 festival

Aug. 6: San Diego @ Tiki Oasis