Emerging Artist: Ladybird

North Texas pop punk emerges from the ether, ready for the world, with catchy, hook-laden songs.

I was scrolling through Instagram the other day and saw Garry Walden’s profile photo, which features him onstage with his guitar. I thought his name was familiar to me, so I sent him a request and he accepted, sending back a really nice note. I asked Garry the name of his band and he told me they were called Ladybird. I had not heard of them, so I promised to check out their music when I had a moment.

It took me a few days but I finally got around to looking up Ladybird TX on Spotify and clicked on the most popular song on their profile — Gravedigger — a single that came out in the Spring of 2023.

To be clear, this is something I did in my occupation for years as the Music Director and Program Director at radio stations. Every week we had a music meeting. We’d put on a new piece of music and decide whether it was a “hit” or not.

As I listened to the first 15 seconds of Gravedigger, I knew Garry Walden and Ladybird were something special. Just press play and listen.

I mean, WHAT?!? How good is that song? Ladybird emerged from the ether as a fully formed pop punk band, ready for the world, with catchy, hook-laden songs.

Ladybird is a three-piece consisting of Garry Walden on guitar and vocals, Peter Skulski on bass and vocals, and Daniel Sanchez on drums, and a listen to the rest of the Ladybird catalog reveals millennium-era pop punk in the same arena as Blink 182 and Bowling for Soup with hints of post grunge ala Smile Empty Soul and Seven Mary Three. On influences, Garry told me via DM “the meat and potatoes of Ladybird comes from bands like Modern Baseball, Graduating Life, Title Fight, and The Story So Far.”

Walden’s lyrics are brutally honest; sometimes heartbreaking, and when you pair the lyrical vulnerability with Garry’s polished songwriting, the end result is an incredible pop punk offering that sounds like an audio journal of confessions and revelations. The chorus from “Groundhog Day:”

My therapist knows me by my name
And I hate that shit, just like I fucking hate
Being me

Getting better every day
But everything still feels the same
And I can’t wait to go back to sleep

After a single day of listening, I am dazzled by the talent of Ladybird — Garry (Garrett), Peter and Daniel — and I hope to photograph and interview the band for a proper story in the near future. Sign up for a free subscription so you don’t miss an update!

Watch Gravedigger on YouTube

Follow Ladybird on Instagram

Follow Ladybird on Spotify

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