TEEN MORTGAGE

In the organizer's words:

EURO SUMMER 2026
Punk rock concert at KESSELHAUS

Teen Mortgage, the Washington-based two-man powerhouse consisting of guitarist and singer James Guile and drummer Ed Barkauskas, is coming back to Germany. Three gigs in Wiesbaden, Leipzig and Bochum are on the program in August 2026; the Scottish punk duo Cowboy Hunters from Edinburgh will accompany all three evenings as the support act. The concerts promise to deliver what Teen Mortgage have been known for over the years: compressed, ruthless energy that leaves no escape.

The band formed in Washington, D.C. in 2017 when Guile, a Liverpool native, met Barkauskas through a Craigslist ad. As a duo, they developed a sound that crosses East Coast hardcore aggression with garage and surf sleaze, while always maintaining a pop edge. Thematically, the project revolves around what Guile himself describes as "the absurdity of life in the age of late capitalism and tech feudalism"; even the band's name carries this attitude: Mortgage is derived from Latin and means a pledge of death. This sharpness of content, combined with a sound that quotes Jello Biafra as well as George Carlin, has earned Teen Mortgage a clearly defined, loyal audience.

Brooklyn label King Pizza Records recognized the duo's potential early on, releasing the EP Life/Death in 2019 and Smoked in 2021. Songs from both releases secured Teen Mortgage placements in productions by Shameless, Vans Park Series and Evil Bikes, as well as support slots alongside The Chats, Mike Krol, Bass Drum of Death and Jeff the Brotherhood. Iggy Pop provided the strongest tailwind to date: on his program The Confidential Show on BBC Radio 6, he recommended the duo with the words "These guys have got it going on", a moment that suddenly extended the band's reach. Since then, reports in the Washington Post have borne witness to a growing interest beyond the borders of the D.C. scene.

"It's even woven into our name, like Mortgage in Latin means 'death pledge'." - James Guile

The Scottish punk duo Cowboy Hunters are the perfect addition to the German shows. Megan and Desmond, both originally drummers, have long since made a name for themselves in Scotland's Central Belt scene; their trademark is switching between guitar and drums in every set, which regularly causes a stir in the audience. Emerging from the standstill of the pandemic years, the band exemplifies the current exceptionally vibrant Scottish punk scene.

Live, Teen Mortgage are in a class of their own. Guile's corrosive riffs and sneer, paired with Barkauskas' uncompromising drumming, turn every performance into a ritual of collective discharge; visitors to previous headlining shows report that the audience erupts at the first riff of the set. Euro Summer 2026 is the logical continuation of a band history that shows the same unwavering drive in every corner of its work. A garage punk highlight of this summer.

Price information:

B.O. € 36,00 / VVK € 34,15