Some songs try to hide the bruises. “Scrub,” the new single from Oklahoma City alt-rock outfit Johnny Manchild And The Poor Bastards, does the opposite — it peels back the bandage and dares you to look.

Out today, “Scrub” is the second track and visualizer to surface from the band’s forthcoming album, Side Effects, arriving July 24th. Built around Manchild’s signature keyboard-driven arrangements, the song lands squarely in power-ballad territory, aided by a wounded, gorgeous duet with fellow Oklahoma native Chloe-Beth. It’s the sort of track that feels less like a performance and more like eavesdropping on a 3 a.m. journal entry.

“‘Scrub’ is about the burnout of trying to have a career as an artist,” Manchild explained. “Sitting in your head and comparing yourself to these other artists who are where you’d like to be; you start to tear yourself down a bit sometimes. I’ve never felt like a pretty one at the cool kids table, but that’s not really the point of why I do this. That’s what this song is for.”

Stream “Scrub” here: https://open.spotify.com/search/Johnny%20Manchild%20And%20The%20Poor%20Bastards

Side Effects marks a significant creative leap for the band. Produced, engineered, mixed, and arranged entirely by Johnny Manchild himself, the 13-track record stretches the group’s alt-rock and power-pop-punk foundation into heavier guitar territory, complete with a full horn section, hints of industrial noise, and bursts of rapid-fire vocal delivery. If “Scrub” is the tender confession, expect the rest of the album to swing hard in the other direction, too.

The Poor Bastards have been quietly building one of the more devoted followings in independent music since 2016. This is, after all, the same Johnny Manchild who self-booked 52 fan-hosted house shows across three days in 2024, criss-crossing America and Canada to meet his listeners in their living rooms. Five albums deep, the collective has turned grassroots hustle into a genuine movement.

That momentum rolls straight into a massive tour supporting Side Effects. The run kicks off on album release day, Friday, July 24th, at Beer City Music Hall in the band’s hometown of Oklahoma City, then barrels through Texas, the Southeast, the Northeast, the Midwest, Canada, and the West Coast before wrapping September 28th in Kansas City. Highlights include Mercury Lounge in New York (August 6), The Echo in Los Angeles (September 11), Monarch Tavern in Toronto (August 12), and Funhouse in Seattle (September 19).

Side Effects Tracklist:
1. Stacks!
2. Windfall
3. Bleeding Heart
4. Young Blood
5. Conversations
6. Scrub
7. All I Can Do
8. My Best Girl
9. Hum (Alex’s Song)
10. Give Me A Reason
11. Side Effects
12. Medicine Dance
13. Remember Me

Pre-order Side Effects, grab a ticket to a show near you, and go ahead — let “Scrub” ruin you a little. That’s kind of the point.