Northeast Jersey quartet The 65’s have always embraced their high stress, high anxiety, chaotic environment, allowing the gridlocked cityscape to inform their aggressive blend of punk influenced rock & powerpop. A lean, authentic sound that exudes integrity, sitting somewhere between the Replacements and New York Dolls. 

Formed in 2008 as a side-project by Joseph O. Pugsley of The Dark Brothers, the first lineup of The 65’s consisted of Joe (guitar/vocals), John Steele (drums), Cindi Merklee (bass/vocals) and Daniel Smith (guitar/vocals), each bringing their own influences and musical pedigrees, releasing their acclaimed debut Strike Hard! on Dromedary Records in 2009. A video for the first single “Walk On Selfishly” came soon after, premiering on Magnet Magazine.

Their live performances made them a standout in the popular melting pot scene bubbling out of Maxwell’s in Hoboken, and they formed alliances with other local upstarts Miss Ohio and Galanos and began releasing under their own Pyrrhic Victory Recordings label. The band has gone through several lineup changes, most recently featuring Pugsley and Steele, along with guitarist Ed Roessler and bassist/vocalist Ryan Struck.

Drawing on years of experience and wide array of influences, it’s no wonder why their debut album, Strike Hard! was been described as “an amalgam of college-rock’s brightest moments”‚Äù” by Jim Testa in The Jersey Journal, a ‚”delightful mix of styles” by Magnet magazine and “affecting and impressive in equal measure” by Joe Wawrzyniak of Jersey Beat.