Rising punk act Winona Fighter is excited to announce that they will be releasing a deluxe edition of their critically acclaimed debut album My Apologies To The Chef. Set to be released digitally on 5th September 2025 with limited edition vinyl available for pre-order now, the expanded album will feature acoustic versions of every song from the original release, as well as covers of Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage” and Violent Femmes’ “Blister In The Sun”. Additionally, the band has shared their brand new single “(Don’t Get) CLOSE”, which is out now via Rise Records and streaming here. 
“If you’re thinking “is this a band full of crazy people?”… you’re not far off. Why are we releasing a 31 track, half electric, half acoustic, deluxe version of our debut album we released earlier this year? Well, I don’t know but we had a damn good time creating it,” shares front woman and multi-instrumentalist Coco Kinnon. “We recorded this after the first leg of our ‘YES CHEF TOUR’ (where we’ve been playing every single song on the record each night), so it was cool to take some of the stuff we’ve started doing live and letting that influence aspects of the acoustic versions. There are quite a few elements in the deluxe I think listeners are going to be pleasantly surprised about. Some songs we even recorded just the 3 of us around a single microphone. It’s raw, fun, and totally rock n roll garage band vibes. Happy listening!” About new single “(Don’t Get) CLOSE”, she adds: “I think it’s really cool we found an opportunity to release ‘(Don’t Get) CLOSE’. I was always drawn to this song but it never quite found it’s place on our debut record. Honestly, we are in the mindsight of recording completely new songs (even to us) moving forward so I really didn’t think it would ever see the light of day. When we decided to do a deluxe version of ‘My Apologies To The Chef’ it was a no brainer that it was finally this song’s time to shine. I not only want to dedicate it to anyone trying to navigate what romantic or personal relationships are supposed to be like after experiencing abuse, but also to all the partners, friends, and family members out there taking it day by day with them.” To pre-save/pre-order My Apologies To The Chef Deluxe, please visit HERE. Winona Fighter recently wrapped up their first ever UK headline tour, which concluded with a performance at Slam Dunk Music Festival. Upon their return, they kicked off Leg 2 of their Yes, Chef Tour. The headline run will pick back up on July 8th, including sold out shows in New York City and Chicago, and additional stops in Boston, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, and more. For a full list of upcoming shows or to purchase tickets, please visit: winonafighter.com. About Winona Fighter Based in Nashville, Winona Fighter—frontwoman and multi-instrumentalist Coco Kinnon, lead guitarist Dan Fuson and bassist/producer Austin Luther — formed after Coco moved there from Boston, and made a strong impression with their 2022 debut EP, Father Figure. Three of its songs—”Subaru”, “You Look Like A Drunk Phoebe Bridgers” and “Wlbrn St Tvrn”—were re-recorded for MY APOLOGIES TO THE CHEF, the band’s debut album, but their power and potency is in no way diminished. In fact, the rage and frustration that courses through them, and which also infuses the band’s energetic and compelling live shows, feels even more visceral, pointed and necessary than before, something that carries over into the other songs too. “I feel like we’re taught to suppress our anger,” Coco says, “whether it’s to do with what’s going on in the world or in our lives. And that’s so lame. Why are we so okay with people being sad and anxious, and not okay with people having an outlet to be angry? That just blows my mind. I think if more people were able to be angry, maybe everyone would be a little happier.” Recorded by Austin at his home studio (“I call it Studio A,” he smiles. “A for Austin”), MY APOLOGIES TO THE CHEF is a wonderfully raw and cohesive reflection on life today that bottles the spirited and cathartic energy of the band’s live shows, as well as the angst and anxiety of being alive. The tone is set immediately with “JUMPERCABLES”, a catchy indie-punk anthem that’s fun and fiery in equal measure, before “You Look Like A Drunk Phoebe Bridgers” and “Subaru” soar with the band’s trademark catchy hooks and choruses. Elsewhere, “Swimmer’s Ear” balances tender aggression and self-deprecation, “Johnny’s Dead” is a heart-wrenching tale about substance abuse, and “Swear To God That I’m (FINE)” is an explosion of defiant self-affirmation. One of the angrier songs on the album, “R U FAMOUS,” is a blast of powerfully bitter vitriol tempered by humour, intelligence, and nuance. That balance is something also present in the snarky catchiness of “I Think You Should Leave” and throughout the blistering urgency of “I’M IN THE MARKET TO PLEASE NO ONE”, a song about dating abuse inspired by a letter Coco wrote for a therapy session. The idea was to write it, get all her feelings out and then destroy it, but for some reason she kept it. When she stumbled across it sometime later, the band were already gaining ground and the idea for the song was born. “I found it at a time where people were starting to really listen to our music,” she remembers. “There were a lot of young women coming to our shows and a lot of dads being like, ‘Oh my God, my daughter would love you guys.’ So it felt like the right time to use my voice to sing about something pretty serious. When I showed it to Austin we thought it could maybe motivate people who had been—or still are—in the situation I was in to speak up and speak out and try to get their power back. Originally, I wrote it for me but feel now like it’s a song for other people. And there’ll be these big ass grown dudes in the audience scream-singing it, so I think it means a lot to more than just the young women I had intended it to be for.” Despite the strength in these songs’ delivery, underlying them all is a raw vulnerability. It’s the band’s ability to overcome that, and the adversity that inspired it in the first place, that makes this album truly special. That comes across nowhere more strongly than on the album finale, “DON’T WALLOW”. Originally written about the band flyering to promote “Johnny’s Dead” outside a festival they weren’t actually playing, the song turns a negative and embarrassing experience into a source of positive inspiration. “It was very humbling,” says Coco, “and a little embarrassing to stand outside of a music festival you could be playing and handing out flyers, but we want this so bad. You should be uncomfortable all the time during this process. That’s how a lot of our career has felt up until this point and I think it’s going to continue to feel that way. If you’re comfortable, you’re not doing enough.” It’s an attitude that captures Winona Fighter, and this debut record, perfectly. | 
