If your first reaction to the new Mountain Party single is, ‘hey look, Pony League went and turned punk,’ you’d almost be right. After all, both bands feature the same five members, and they each turn out earnest, anthemic sing-alongs with a decidedly Southern bent. But what started as the solo project of Pony League member and Bear Kids Recordings founder Justin Green, has since turned into a full-band affair, and the results are a rousing strain of upbeat working-class punk in the vein of Desaparecidos, the Gaslight Anthem, or, more locally, New Junk City.

“Proletariat” is the lead single and title track from the group’s forthcoming EP, and it’s a four-on-the-floor rocker built on driving guitars and heart-on-sleeve energy. From the title, you may guess that it’s a call to arms for workers everywhere, and as the lyric video above proves, you’d be correct. But what gives the song its staying power is not only its us-against-the-masters feeling of fellowship, but also the sense of unity it seeks to engender, its faith in our common humanity.

“Sometimes I have the same tendencies as my enemies,” Green shares in the opening verse. “And my friends have seen the worst of it (truly).” It’s this decision to choose empathy over confrontation that rings true here, even as Green makes sure to remind us later that we all “make the same men rich” before urging everyone to “clock out now.” Sure, your first reaction to this firecracker of a jam may be to pump your fists or raise a glass, but then again not every revolution starts in the streets. Sometimes they catch fire in smoky bars and beer-stained basements, too.

Watch/listen above.

“Proletariat” will be available on all streaming services and digital stores on Feb. 8. A release date for the EP has yet to be determined, however, pre-orders for the record are available now via Bear Kids Recordings.

Mountain Party will perform on Sat., Feb. 9 for the Lost-n-Found Youth Benefit at the EARL alongside New Junk City, Evan Stepp & the Piners, Heelturn, and Nowhere Safe. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. Admission is $10 in advance or $12 at the door. 21+ to enter. All profits go to Lost-n-Found Youth. Additionally, the show will be accepting canned/packaged food donations for the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

More Info
Web: mountainpartyband.com
Bandcamp: mountainparty.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @mountainpartyband
Instagram: @mountain_party
Twitter: @mountain_party