Kal Marks have never made a record as personal as Wasteland Baby. Though Carl Shane, the band’s vocalist-guitarist, has made a career off of exploring blunt, uncomfortable truths through song, with Wasteland Baby, he steered Kal Marks toward something utterly new. Shane looked inward to stare down a fear that had long plagued him: What would it look like to have a child in a world that looks like this? “The album was driven by the fears I’m having about being a father,” says Shane. “The initial spark was this fear, and I thought that maybe if I could express it, I could overcome it.” What started out with this simple premise slowly grew into a sprawling, borderline-concept record. It’s no surprise, then, that Kal Marks went deeper and darker than ever before when writing Wasteland Baby. Though, in order to reach that final product, it required the band—bassist-vocalist John Russell, drummer Adam Berkowitz, and guitarist-vocalist Christina Puerto, who is also Shane’s partner—to interrogate every decision they made with exacting detail. ”We were really all on the same page in that we wanted to make something really, really special and that was going to require us putting a lot of ego aside and just trying to serve the songs as best as possible.” “In an ideal world, Kal Marks will go on forever. But it may be the end of a chapter for a while. I don’t want it to be the end, but there was an element running through the album that maybe could be the end,” says Shane. No matter what the future holds, Wasteland Baby is an emphatic reminder to brush off the things that keep you from truly living and venture into the unknown.
Release date:
September 13, 2024
Label:
Install our app to receive notifications when new upcoming releases are added.

Recommended equipment and accessories
-
Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO
Featuring a one-piece carbon fiber tonearm, precision-tuned motor, and a heavy steel platter with TPE damping, it ensures superior stability and sound quality.
-
Nobsound Little Bear T7 Tube Preamp
Delivers rich, warm audio through its high-quality vacuum tubes, featuring multiple inputs and adjustable gain
-
Turntables - Top Picks
A selection of reliable record players you can buy today, for every budget
-
Denon DP-400
Featuring a high-precision, belt-driven mechanism and an adjustable tonearm that ensures optimal tracking and minimal resonance
-
HumminGuru: Ultrasonic Vinyl Record Cleaner
Advanced ultrasonic technology with customizable cleaning cycles and a large tank capacity to thoroughly remove dust, dirt, and contaminants
Featured Upcoming Vinyl
-
hard life onion
Mercury Records/Republic
July 18, 2025 -
Jethro Tull Still Living In The Past [2xLP]
Rhino / Parlophone
July 11, 2025 -
Pan American & Kramer Interior of an Edifice Under the Sea
Shimmy Disc
July 25, 2025 -
Kesha . (Kink Hot Pink)
Kesha Records
July 4, 2025 -
Sabrina Carpenter Man's Best Friend (Translucent Light Brown; Amazon Exclusive)
Island
August 29, 2025 -
Grinderman Grinderman 2 Eco
Bmg
July 18, 2025 -
Incite Savage New Times
Reigning Phoenix Music America, LLC
August 15, 2025 -
wave to earth play with earth! 0.03
Wavy Seoul Inc.
August 8, 2025 -
Marc Amacher Load
Hoboville Records
July 11, 2025 -
Karl Ratzer Trio Vienna Red (Audiophile; Signature Edition)
In And Out Records Gmbh
July 11, 2025 -
Stars of the Lid Music for Nitrous Oxide (30 Year Anniversary; Remastered) [2xLP]
Diggers Factory
July 25, 2025 -
Sean Nicholas Savage The Knowing
Born Losers Records
June 27, 2025 -
Chris Stamey Anything Is Possible
Label 51 Recordings
July 11, 2025 -
The Cold Stares The Southern Part 2
Deko Music
July 18, 2025