Premiere: Cuffed Up’s Unapologetic New Post-Punk Song Is a Solid “10 for 10”

Feverish and charged, Cuffed Up’s captivating new song “10 for 10” is critical, unapologetic post-punk manifest: A refreshing rush of pure passion and raw fervor that’s as catchy as it is callous and edgy.

for fans of Arctic Monkeys, Cage the Elephant, Shame, IDLES, The Criticals

Stream: “10 For 10” – Cuffed Up

F-R-A-U-D I’m a monster; am I just a lonely imposter?

Feverish and charged, Cuffed Up’s latest single is critical, unapologetic post-punk manifest: A churning rush of electric energy and searing attitude roars to life on “10 for 10” as the LA band stir up a dynamic frenzy of inner fire and sonic furor.

F-R-A-U-D I’m a constant
F-R-A-U-D I’m a monster
am I just a lonely imposter?
Comin’ back around, comin’ back around

F-R-A-U-D am I ostracized?
F-R-A-U-D am I criticized?
F-R-A-U-D is ME
I’m a fraud and I know
it’s just a hard pill to swallow

Trust in the process!
Cause we’re just enthusiasts!

Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering “10 for 10,” Cuffed Up’s explosive second single of the year (independently out October 27, 2022). Following September’s radiant release “Even the Worm Will Turn,” “10 for 10” hits hard with a cool strut and callous, visceral vocals. Currently a Los Angeles-based trio of songwriter/guitarist Ralph Torrefranca, drummer Joe Liptock, and bassist Vic Ordonez (guitarist Sapphire Jewell recently announced her departure from the band on amicable terms), Cuffed Up formed in 2018 and have since treated the world to two exhilarating EPs over the past two years: 2020’s self-titled Cuffed Up, and 2021’s Asymmetry (which just celebrated its first “birthday” last week).

“10 for 10” is in many ways a continuation of the uncompromising post-punk to which Cuffed Up have stake their claim,

and yet this song is undeniably the band’s most refreshing and invigorating offering. It’s a vibrant outburst of passion and raw fervor; a cathartic, heated shout into the darkness. “F-R-A-U-D,” vocalist Torrefranca sings repeatedly in each verse; his demeanor is at once self-deprecating and defiant as he and the band surge onward in an emotional storm of volatile sound:

F-R-A-U-D I’m no einstein
F-R-A-U-D I’m the headline
a partisan for free, I’m the cosign
Comin’ back around, comin’ back around

F-R-A-U-D am I’m ostracized
F-R-A-U-D am I’m criticized
F-R-A-U-D is ME
I’m a fraud but I know
It’s just a hard pill to swallow

Trust in the process!
Cause we’re just enthusiasts!
It’s a falsified claim! to the end, it’s always a lie
And the truth, it’s made to be buried alive

“The song is about the internal monologue of a creative and their ongoing, almost cyclical battle with ‘imposter syndrome,'” Torrefranca tells Atwood Magazine. “It’s deeply rooted in confidence. The dialogue in the song follows a creative, trying to understand the negative thoughts that plagues their mind every time they feel the imposter syndrome.”

“The chorus is the heavy handed conclusion that they arrive to every time, but the bridge is the “big aha! moment” where the character finally realizes that they are amazing at what they do and are in fact, 10/10.”

“10 for 10” is everything we could want in an uptempo post-punk upheaval.

It’s got edge; it’s got spunk and attitude; and at its core is an ongoing push-and-pull to which we can all-too easily relate. Stream Cuffed Up’s latest single exclusively on Atwood Magazine, and catch the band on tour now with The Joy Formidable!

Death bed regrets, it’s a fallacy
I can’t affirm but I seem to be
a bonafide 10 for 10
And it’s a shame that I left it all out on my chest

Trust in the process!
but we’re just enthusiasts!
It’s a falsified claim! to the end, it’s always a lie
And the truth, it’s made to be buried alive
a bonafide 10 for 10

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:: stream/purchase 10 for 10 here ::

Stream: “10 For 10” – Cuffed Up

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