Los Angeles trio Black Market Heart released April 14, 2026, with What Happens in the Dark, a record forged in the pink smog of a Southern California sunset and the low hum of the 101 at dusk. Featuring former members of The Lords of Altamont—guitarist/vocalist Spencer Robinson and drummer Shawn Medina—alongside bassist/vocalist Tina Brugnoletti, the album skips the “beach postcard” tropes for something more nocturnal: the buzzing neon of Echo Park liquor stores and the heat still radiating off Silver Lake sidewalks at midnight.
Recorded in just two days at Kitten Robot Studios with underground legend Paul Roessler (The Screamers, 45 Grave), the album is a live-wire collision of feedback and melody. Taking cues from the haze of The Jesus and Mary Chain and the cold pulse of Joy Division, the band favors instinct over studio gloss. Robinson’s sharp guitar and Brugnoletti’s grinding basslines create a sound that feels wired and slightly unhinged—music designed for empty overpasses and the stretch of road where you can finally pretend you’re alone.
The Breakdown
- The Vibe: All grit and forward motion. The title track arrives with a video shot in a ’67 Dodge Coronet, feeling like a Tarantino getaway scene with a hardcore soundtrack.
- The Sound: Minimal takes and exposed nerves. From the gasoline-soaked chaos of “Self-Destruct With Me” to the quiet menace of “Coyote,” the record tackles isolation and chemical imbalance without flinching.
- The Pedigree: The band reroutes musical lineage through cracked amps, offering distorted takes on Beck (“Girl Dreams”) and The Stingers (“Give Me Power”) that feel less like covers and more like midnight transmissions.
What Happens in the Dark is a desperate reach for connection in the distortion—a soundtrack for those merging onto the freeway with the windows down and no intention of looking back.
Stream: https://linktr.ee/blackmarketheart
What first got you into music?
I didn’t grow up in a family of musicians, but there was always music playing in our home. I had my mom, who was into soul and funk, and my dad, who was the rock ‘n’ roll guy. Of course, that meant that all the early music I liked was The Stones, The Beatles, The Who, Sly and the Family Stone, etc. The first band I discovered on my own was Social Distortion, and that gave me the jolt I needed to discover 10,000 other bands and continue the obsession. I started playing drums when I was 13, and that was very loud for everyone around me. I decided to switch to something that wouldn’t make everyone crazy, and guitar seemed like a lot to manage, so I found a cheap bass at a yard sale and started learning Ramones songs. At some point, the guitar stopped feeling like too much to manage, and here we are.
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
I’ve played in a lot of different bands over the years, but what I’m writing now for Black Market Heart falls somewhere between the feedback-laden noise pop of The Jesus and Mary Chain and the ice-cold angles of Joy Division. I don’t write a whole lot of happy songs, but I do think that I’ve been able to stretch a bit on this new record both lyrically and musically. As a band, we decided to incorporate more influences into these new songs, and I’m really happy with the result. The noise is still there, but I think there are surprises on this one that I’m proud of.
Where was your current project recorded?
We recorded at Kitten Robot Studios in Los Angeles with producer Paul Roessler, who was in legendary bands like The Screamers and 45 Grave. Paul was incredible in the studio, and the band has never sounded better. He understands how to get the best from every instrument and really pushed me to sing with a lot more confidence than I have in the past. 5 out of 5 stars for sure! The record, “What Happens in the Dark,” was released April 14th.
What kind of recording facilities do you have at home?
Calling it a facility is a huge overstatement. I do all my demoing on GarageBand on an iPad. That’s the entire facility. I plug into that little tablet and lay down every idea before bringing it to the band. This sometimes takes a long time as I try different arrangements for the lyrics I write. Eventually, Shawn (drums) and Tina (bass, vocals) throw in their suggestions and always make it better.
Have you written songs for any other artists?
During that first year of Covid, I made a lot of beats for indie rappers. There was just so much time to fill, and I found that kind of thing great for taking my mind off the planetary turmoil we were all in. I just kept making beats, and rappers kept buying them. It was fun. I also wrote and produced music for a couple of songs by this trip-hop artist called Extinguis/Her. That was all done remotely while in lockdown. I’d love to do more of that, though. I’m always down to write with new people and see what happens.
Are you a cat person or dog person?
I’m a dog person, but like a major dog person. That tiny dog has a better life than most people. I cook her food for her. She has a stroller for when the ground is hot. She’s spoiled, and rightfully so.
What’s your favorite sports team and why?
I don’t watch sports, like, not at all. I get that it can be fun to watch people who are great at something do it at the highest level. That makes sense, but being a fan of a team is mindboggling to me. People are really into a specific team, for years, no matter who the players are. That means that they’re actually just fans of the billionaire who owns the team. That’s weird. The only thing that has the same weight for me is Jeopardy. I watch it every day. Those are my playoffs, my Super Bowl, etc. So my “favorite sports teams” would be Ken Jennings, Matt Amodio, Victoria Groce, etc. I can do this all day.
What makes you nostalgic?
“Certain songs” is the easy answer for every musician, and that is true for me too, but I’m going to give another answer as well. TV shows. Television has been such an important part of my life for as long as I can remember, and there are some shows that will always just live rent-free in my head. There’s so much TV now that I don’t do a lot of rewatching old shows, but when I happen to catch one, everything floods back, and that is a level of nostalgia that is hard to match.
If you had to describe yourself as a flavor, what would it be?
I guess Salty. It’s good, but if you have too much, it’s intense, almost to the point of burning. I know I can be a lot, but in the right amount, in the right setting, I’m satisfying.
If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be?
I talk fast. So fast. Too fast. It’s actually really annoying. I can only imagine how annoying I am to be around. I like to tell myself that it’s because my brain just moves so quickly, but I suspect that’s a ridiculous lie to make myself feel better. I need to learn how to annunciate like a 1980s rapper, and maybe I can solve that problem.
Black Market Heart Online
