Small Doses release new EP Don't Not Tread On Me and break down all four tracks

Asheville, North Carolina post-hardcore band Small Doses have released their new EP, Don't Not Tread On Me. The four-song record is a quick burst of noise-leaning punk rock aimed at bigotry and life under late-stage capitalism. It is out now via Boared To Death Records.

Vocalist and guitarist John Polydoros, previously of Off With Their Heads, said the EP's central theme targets institutions that present themselves as saviors to ordinary people while working against the interests of those they claim to represent, using media coverage and social issues as a distraction from their own failures.

Polydoros also walked through the record song by song. The opener is written for drivers with a certain yellow sticker on the back of their truck, people he describes as willing to be tread upon as long as somebody they hate suffers too. Another track deals with refusing to take responsibility, with blame pushed onto immigrants, vaccines or trans kids instead of any self-examination. "Every accusation is a confession," he said.

The remaining two songs focus on masculinity. One is compared by Polydoros to the "this is fine" dog meme, addressing the fear of being perceived as weak and the podcast industry built on monetizing male insecurity and loneliness. The closer, which he calls his favorite title on the record, looks at the male ego tied to endless consumption, drawing a line between the current moment and the "greed is good" years of the 1980s.

Small Doses have two record release shows booked: October 24 at Tin Roof in Charleston, South Carolina, and November 6 at The Cave in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.