Wax Jaw’s Lace Up barrels forward with the unshakable urgency of a last-call confession and the knowing grin of someone who’s been there before. Born out of Philadelphia’s restless live circuit, the band built their name on sweat-drenched, heart-in-throat performances…shows designed to leave every pair of feet moving. That electricity is wired straight into the video, where jagged punk riffs and new-wave bounce serve as both an adrenaline rush and a mirror for the song’s layered subject matter.
Wax Jaw’s roots might be in basements and DIY stages, but here they’re stepping into a bigger frame, carrying the same heat, the same heart, and a refusal to dull the edges. Oh—and they’ve also penned an original track for PBS Kids’ Albie’s Elevator, proving that even a band this raw and wild can colour outside the lines.
Lace Up holds joy and suffering in the same breath, threading addiction, sexual liberation, and self-worth into something alive and immediate. Frontperson Shane Morgan puts it plainly: “Lace Up tells a story of queer sexual freedom and ultimately celebrates my growing independence in romantic relationships. Exploring my sexuality as a young queer person was both exciting and cathartic—helping me stitch the pieces of my personal identity together. Exploring my authentic desires helped me develop a new resilience and energy within myself.”
The clip amplifies that duality. It’s exuberant without losing sight of the cost, flirting with chaos while basking in its own sweat-streaked triumph. Bright bursts of color and movement frame Morgan’s delivery, the camera catching quick flashes of intimacy and release…proof that the freedom to be “sexy or sleazy when the mood strikes” can carry its own radical weight.
Watch the video for “Lace Up” below:
Their upcoming debut, It Takes Guts! out October 10, 2025, on Born Losers Records, follows the same path: fearless in subject, playful in spirit. The record stitches serrated guitars to dance-ready beats, daring you to sit still. It’s music for fans of Amyl & The Sniffers, The B-52s, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Surfbort, but it’s also its own entity on a collision course of personal truth and punk irreverence.
Listen to Lace Up below and order the single here.
Wax Jaw will be hitting the road this fall, making stops in DC, Asheville, Chicago, Nashville, Pittsburgh and more! The tour concludes in the City of Brotherly Love on 8 November for an album release show at the Ukie Club.
Tour Dates:
- Sept 6 | Carlstadt, NJ @ Bolero Block Party
- Sept 20 | Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
- Oct 16 | Washington, D.C. @ DC 9
- Oct 17 | Richmond, VA @ Banditos
- Oct 18 | Asheville, NC @ Static Age Records
- Oct 19 | Nashville, TN @ The Cobra
- Oct 23 | Chicago, IL @ Cole’s Bar
- Oct 24 | Cleveland, OH @ Brother’s Lounge
- Oct 25 | Pittsburgh, PA @ Funhouse at Mr. Smalls
- Oct 26 | Baltimore, MD @ Holy Frijoles
- Nov 8 | Philadelphia, PA @ Ukie Club
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