MX LONELY Confront Inner Demons With Fiery New Single, Shape Of An Angel

On The Table Read Magazine, “the best arts and entertainment magazine UK“, MX LONELY’s gripping new single “Shape Of An Angel” confronts the brutal entanglement of addiction, neurodivergence, and codependency with raw intensity and soaring hooks, serving as a powerful preview of their eagerly awaited debut album ALL MONSTERS.

Shape Of An Angel

New York-based alt-rock band MX LONELY have released their latest single, “Shape Of An Angel,” a powerful track from their highly anticipated debut album ALL MONSTERS. Set for release on February 20, 2026, via Julia’s War Recordings, the song arrives with an intense official music video that brings its themes to visceral life.

“Shape Of An Angel” delves deeply into the intertwined struggles of addiction, neurodivergence, and codependent relationships. The lyrics confront the destructive pull of substances and emotional dependencies, portraying how these forces can consume a person while they chase fleeting moments of relief or euphoria. The track builds from dreamy introspection to a heavy, resolute hook, capturing the exhaustion of clinging to what once felt essential but has turned harmful.

The accompanying music video, directed and edited by Owen Lehman, stages this internal battle as a literal wrestling match. Synthesist and vocalist Rae Haas appears in the ring, embodying the fight against these overpowering forces, complete with dramatic physicality that mirrors the song’s emotional intensity.

Building Toward a Bold Debut Album

This single follows the earlier release of “Big Hips,” which explored gender dysphoria during trans adolescence through angular, fuzz-laden riffs and raw emotion. That track earned praise from outlets including Stereogum, which described its verses as reminiscent of 90s angular indie rock before erupting into a chaotic chorus.

ALL MONSTERS promises a fuller exploration of personal shadows. The album confronts internal and external “monsters”—from mental health challenges and neurodivergence to self-sabotage and societal harms. Rather than destruction through self-harm, it emphasizes bringing these issues into the light to dismantle them. Tracks like the opener “Kill The Candle” address lostness, while others such as “Anesthetic” serve as reflections on addiction, and the epic closer “Whispers In The Fog” grapples with lingering childhood anxieties in a slow-burning seven-minute expanse.

Mid-album highlights include “Blue Ridge Mtns,” a reimagined folk piece about a drive to rehab, blending vulnerability with powerful instrumentation, and “All Monsters Go To Heaven,” which weighs the hope of forgiveness against the reality that many wrongs go unpunished.

From AA Meetings to Brooklyn’s Stage

The band—Rae Haas on vocals and synth, Jake Harms on guitar, and Gabriel Garman on bass—first connected at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings while involved in separate projects. Bonding over influences ranging from Pixies and Elliott Smith to contemporary acts like Chat Pile and black midi, they began collaborating during the pandemic on material Harms had developed solo. Early releases came under the name v0idb0ys, evolving into MX LONELY in 2022 ahead of their debut live show.

Their sound fuses introspective, softer elements—inspired by open tunings akin to Elliott Smith—with louder, visceral energy drawn from grunge, shoegaze, and punk. Live performances emphasize physicality and audience connection, with Haas often moving into the crowd to create shared catharsis.

Previous efforts, including the 2024 EP SPIT and singles like “Beauty Lasts for Never,” garnered support from publications such as Alternative Press, Brooklyn Vegan, and The FADER. MX LONELY have toured with acts including The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die, Trauma Ray, Cryogeyser, and Midrift, building a dedicated following in the New York scene.

A Community-Driven Future

As a self-recorded effort, ALL MONSTERS captures the raw immediacy of their live shows while expanding into longer, more nuanced compositions. The band views their work as a form of shadow work—facing personal demons head-on—and hope to foster a wider community around mutual healing and collaboration. Plans include building their own studio to maintain creative control and invite others in.

With roots in recovery and shared experiences, MX LONELY continue to channel vulnerability into music that challenges listeners to confront their own struggles. “Shape Of An Angel” stands as a striking preview of an album that transforms pain into something both beautiful and defiant.

Julia’s War Recordings, the Philadelphia-based label founded by Douglas Dulgarian of They Are Gutting A Body of Water in 2021, continues to champion boundary-pushing acts with a focus on physical media and creative freedom.

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