AX AND THE HATCHETMEN Release New EP STICK & POKE

Chicago's Ax and the Hatchetmen have released their anticipated new EP, Stick & Poke, which is available today across all streaming platforms. Stick & Poke is highlighted by the EP's singles 'Loser,' 'Stick & Poke,' and 'Funny Valentine' - anthems about the joy of love and the sting off when it bites back.

Commenting on the new EP, Ax and the Hatchetmen's frontman Axel Ellis shared, 'As an artist I'm still just trying to make sense of my life through these songs, hoping to capture the highs and lows of my twenties with little snapshots of experiences I've had. It's therapy for me. Hopeless romantic antics. It's the same goal as always, to enjoy life and play music with my friends. If my experiences can be a vessel for that in any way, I'm happy to share.'

Elaborating on 'Funny Valentine' Ellis commented, 'Sometimes Cupid lets you down. It's bound to happen if you keep your heart open. You trade one great week for many more wishing you could figure out why it went south. Doesn't matter if you were ready to let go or not - it just goes. Sometimes there's nothing left to do but laugh at it all. At least you tried. At a certain point, you've just gotta call off the losing game. I must be the clown for putting myself out there. Each day can't always be Valentine's day, no matter how many times you've heard the opposite.'

Produced by longtime collaborator Jake Sinclair, Stick & Poke captures the highs, lows, and lingering memories of young love through a series of vivid, deeply personal vignettes. From the pure joy of late-night tattoos and teenage romance to heartbreak, missed connections, and relationships that were never meant to last. The EP turns those fleeting experiences into anthems of self-discovery, nostalgia, and the universal search to make sense of where we've been, and who we're becoming.

The news of Stick & Poke arrived this past August, capping off a breakout summer for Ax and the Hatchetmen which saw their song 'Hotel Room' - off their 2025 debut album So Much To Tell You - explode across platforms, amassing over 56 million streams globally.

Having recently completed a summer run of sold-out U.S. headline dates, and a stint supporting Australia's Royel Otis, Ax and the Hatchetmen are now gearing up to support The Revivalists at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado on September 25th, before embarking on their own North American fall headline run. Ax and the Hatchetmen's headline 'The Late Check Out Tour' is set to get underway on October 14th in Indianapolis, IN and will hit major markets across the U.S. before eventually wrapping in Miami, FL on December 13th. For tickets and more information on Ax and the Hatchetmen's upcoming live dates, visit www.axandthehatchetmen.com.

Tracklist

1. Stick & Poke

2. Loser

3. Funny Valentine

4. Prius

5. Dance to Different Songs

The Late Check Out Tour

9/25 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre^

10/14 - Indianapolis, IN - HI-FI Annex

10/15 - Nashville, TN - The Basement East

10/16 - Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club

10/17 - Charleston, SC - The Windjammer

10/20 - Dallas, TX - Granada Theater

10/21 - Austin, TX - Mohawk - Outdoor

10/22 - Waco, TX - Foster Pavillion*

10/23 - Santa Fe, NM - Meow Wolf

10/24 - Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom - SOLD OUT

10/25 - San Diego, CA - Music Box - SOLD OUT

10/27 - Los Angeles, CA - The Bellwether

10/28 - San Francisco, CA - August Hall

10/30 - Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater

10/31 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile

11/2 - Salt Lake City, UT - Metro Music Hall

11/3 - Denver, CO - Summit Music Hall

11/5 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue

11/6 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall Ballroom

11/7 - Lansing, MI - Grewal Hall

11/8 - Lakewood, OH - Mahall's - SOLD OUT

11/10 - Boston, MA - Citizens House of Blues Boston

11/11 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza

11/13 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer

11/14 - Washington, DC - Howard Theatre

11/15 - Richmond, VA - The Broadberry

11/16 - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle

11/17 - Greenville, SC - Radio Room Greenville

11/19 - Columbus, OH - Skully's Music Diner

11/20 - St. Louis, MO - Delmar Hall

11/21 - Chicago, IL - Riviera Theatre

12/7 - Atlanta, GA - The Loft

12/8 - Wilmington, NC - Bowstring Brewyard

12/10 - Orlando, FL - The Abbey

12/11 - St. Augustine, FL - Colonial Oak Music Park - SOLD OUT

12/12 - Tampa, FL - Jannus Live

12/13 - Miami, FL - ZeyZey Miami

^ Supporting The Revivalists

* Supporting Mt. Joy

About Ax and the Hatchetmen

Since forming in 2018, Chicago's Ax and the Hatchetmen have gone from a tight-knit group of music school friends to one of the most electrifying young bands in modern rock. Led by guitarist and singer Axel Ellis alongside Sal Defilippis on guitar, Hunter Olshefke on bass, Chaandmon Crofton on drums, Phil Pistone on trumpet, and Quinn Dolan on saxophone, the six-piece first came together while studying jazz at Chicago's Columbia College. But while their musical foundation may be formal, the band's sound is anything but. A freewheeling collision of rock, soul, funk, and pop that channels the timeless energy of their wide-ranging influences into something distinctly their own.

That chemistry has carried Ax and the Hatchetmen from packed hometown rooms to sold-out headline tours and the stages of Lollapalooza, the Chicago institution they once looked at with stars in their eyes. Along the way, they released a live album, signed with Arista Records, and built an impressive catalog of releases culminating in the band's debut album So Much To Tell You. Released in 2025 and produced by Jake Sinclair (Panic! At The Disco, Weezer, Avril Lavigne), the project features the breakout smash 'Hotel Room' and 'Blurry Lights' featuring The Strokes' Albert Hammond Jr. All while Ellis simultaneously expanded his creative world with a featured role in Amazon's The Runarounds.

Now, Ax and the Hatchetmen open their next chapter with Stick & Poke, a collection that brings new depth and color to the band's irrepressible sound. Moving through the euphoria of young love, the sting of heartbreak, and the memories that linger long after the moment has passed, the EP finds the band transforming fleeting experiences into vivid, open-hearted songs built for both late-night reflection and full-room singalongs. It's another step forward for a band still fueled by the same sense of friendship, spontaneity, and aspirational optimism that has carried them from the beginning, only now with even more stories to tell.