Los Angeles duo Fake Dad have just released their mania-fueled new single “Third Degree,” and it’s the kind of track that sounds like it was forged in a sweaty club at 1 a.m. — because, more or less, it was. Andrea de Varona and Josh Ford wrote and refined the song from the road, sharpening it night after night against the energy of their crowds until it became an instant fan favorite. The result is a crossbreed of Fake Dad’s saturated electropop roots and the gritty, punk fury of their live show.

Stream “Third Degree” on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/search/Fake%20Dad%20Third%20Degree

“We really wanted to make a 2000s-inspired club jam that still had the angsty, Riot Grrrl-esque energy that has been at the forefront of Fake Dad’s performance and writing style,” Andrea shared. “Rather than going for all angst, all yell, we wanted the crux of the song to circle back to something really vulnerable. So yes, I’m this anti-establishment, ‘calling out the man’ baddie, but also I want to be seen, and I want to be loved for all the parts of me.” It’s a song about wanting to be untouchable and desperately wanting to let your guard down at the same time — and as Andrea puts it, “who doesn’t feel a little crazy when it comes to love and relationships?”

Josh sees the track as part of a bigger exploration the band is doing. “This song is part of an exploration we’re doing lately into the intersection between electro/house music and the ethos of punk. There’s so many cool artists right now that are engaging with computer music in much the same way punks in the 70s and 80s were engaging with guitar music.” That collision — riot grrrl punk energy meeting electro club girl energy — is the whole thesis of “Third Degree,” and to Fake Dad, the two feel like one and the same.

Lyrically, the song lives in that hypocritical, self-deluded zone we’ve all visited at some point. “Lots of our songs are written from the perspective of this elevated character who is confident, aggressive, and combative,” Josh explained. “This song finds her trying to convince a lover (and herself) that she won’t stand for bullshit, and won’t accept disrespect — just to turn around in the chorus and admit that ultimately, she is desperate for any scrap of attention they’re willing to give her, and will debase herself to get it.”

Fresh off tours supporting Wallice and Strawberry Fuzz, Fake Dad aren’t slowing down. The duo hits the Santa Monica Pier 360 Fest on June 27, and on July 23 they’ll headline Rocknite at The Echo in Los Angeles alongside Fime and Forest, presented by Big Loud Rock. Expect some questionably legal pop-up shows on the LA streets in the lead-up — because of course.

Last year’s EP Holly Wholesome and the Slut Machine saw the band reinvent themselves across seven tracks as a roster of fictional characters, and 2025 brought their first North American tour with Pom Poko, an official SXSW showcase slot, and a placement on the season 3 premiere of Netflix’s Ginny & Georgia with their single “So Dramatic.”

If you’ve been sleeping on Fake Dad, “Third Degree” is your wake-up call. Stream it now, then catch them tearing up a stage near you.