“Hammok reach beyond [rock]ʼs simple formula—write the heaviest riffs possible, turn up the distortion, play loud—in search of a more memorable and haunting effect.” – Pitchfork ———– Hammok – the Oslo-based trio of vocalist/guitarist Tobias Osland, drummer Ferdinand Aasheim, and bassist Ole Benjamin Thomassen – are Sargent Houseʼs latest signing. Today, the band announces their new album, When Does This Place Become Our Scene, out 5th June 2026, and presents its lead single/video, “The Scene” On When Does This Place Become Our Scene, Hammokʼs idiosyncratic blend of pop production, the vivacious energy of hardcore, and experimental textures fully blossoms, placing them on the vanguard of forward-thinking punk. It ranges from tongue-in-cheek ragers to tracks that blend caustic tones with their love for emo and indie. This is an album thatʼs equal parts scream-along, cathartic and nod-along infectious. Osland began writing what would become “The Scene” somewhere in the middle of Europe, while reflecting on the international hardcore communities that had embraced the band with open arms. The resulting track is innovative and invigorating. Oslandʼs vocals are abrasive and jagged, but retain a sense of catchy melody, all the while being driven by explosive instrumentation – razored guitar, resounding bass, and in-your-face drums. “Everything was sort of a natural response to how good the tour was going, and all the people we had met up to that point,” says Osland. “I wanted to capture and directly address the situation we were in – meeting people for the first time who give a shit about their community and the music around them.” The accompanying video, directed by Christoffer Bya, visualizes the bandʼs bombastic energy. Watch Hammokʼs Video for “The Scene” / Listen to ‘The Scene’ – HERE 
Osland and Aasheim first cut their teeth together as pre-teens playing pop-punk and hanging out at a skatepark in their hometown an hour outside Oslo. They were in and out of other projects, eventually meeting Thomassen through other bands. Just before lockdown, and now in their 20s, the three moved in together, and spent their time in isolation launching Hammok. While live shows are usually paramount for bands in heavy music, Hammok didnʼt have the option to perform in public. They learned how to be a band together by writing and recording, yielding a new sense of adventurousness in their music. “You begin to think sonically, in layers and production, instead of in breakdowns that will make people mosh and go crazy,” Osland explains. Forming Hammok marked a return to their hardcore roots, but was also an inversion of the genreʼs tropes. Their unique approach was already glimpsed on their 2022 EP JUMPING/DANCING/FIGHTING and their 2024 debut look how long lasting everything is moving forward for once. After writing one of When Does…ʼs tracks, “Blast Off (Blast Off) Blast Off,” songs arrived fast in an inspired burst, but the recording was laborious, with Osland, who produced the record, calling the efforts “the hardest thing Iʼve done in my life.” Armed with a set of impressive demos and tasked with refining and expanding their sound, Hammok tweaked and explored until they found something that incorporated all their interests: music that was hectic and chaotic, but full of hooks and intriguing layers alike. Hammok balances poignance with their trademark slyness and humour: True to its title, When Does This Place Become Our Scene grapples with existing in hardcoreʼs lineage and social politics, but also broader paradigms, like coming of age in the era of the internet and social media. To Hammok, the twists and turns cohere into a journey, a process of reaching out further for connection. “A central idea was: What does it mean to be alone?” Osland says. “Is it a strength? Do you feel a part of something? A community?”. ‘When Does This Place Become Our Scene’ is an invitation: the sound of a band pouring all of themselves into this new music, promising an audience that this communication, this back and forth, is a worthwhile exchange. Pre-order ‘When Does This Place Become Our Scene’ – HERE —————— When Does This Place Become Our Scene Tracklist
1. The Scene
2. Semi-Automatic Machines
3. Blast Off (Blast Off) Blast Off
4. Gooning for Free
5. BANG
6. Groundbreaker
7. Tap Water
8. CND
9. Thirst
10. When the Kids Are Too Old to Cause a Scene
11. Confidence of a Beaten Horse
12. For My Friends —————— HAMMOK ‘WHEN DOES THIS PLACE BECOME OUR SCENE’IS RELEASED 5TH JUNE 2026
ON SARGENT HOUSE RECORDS | 
