Johnny Manchild and the Poor Bastards Release New Single “So Much Better”

Johnny Manchild and the Poor Bastards released a new song, “So Much Better,” on March 8th, from their upcoming new album Rapture Waltz, which was recorded with Grammy-nominated Wes Sharon (Greg Allman, Doobie Brothers, John Fullbright, Turnpike Troubadours).

When asked about the song, Johnny explains:

“‘So Much Better’ is admittedly a petty song. I had been experiencing a lot of stress managing the band and handling all of the business that being an artist can entail. I had started to get the feeling that I was losing my friends with this weird power dynamic. This was just me saying, you know, you do it then. This stuff is complicated and hard, so by all means, you take the wheel.

“The second chorus is essentially me apologizing for being a prick in the first chorus. ‘It’s not your fault, it’s just the way that it goes.’ It’s complicated mixing friends into this business and career. Passions get high, and friends can get upset very quickly.”

“So Much Better” is the follow-up to their recently released songs “Fake Me Out” and “Oh, Songbird.”

The genre-bending songs on Rapture Waltz cover a wide palette. The inspiration for the songs on the album came from the last few years in Johnny’s life, with the reinvention of his band, the loss of friends and family due to alienation and sickness, and an overall feel of a world in peril, with Johnny on the outside looking in, the last man standing. It’s a duality that runs through his work, from his nickname and the soft-to-loud dynamics of his music to balance the head and the heart along with the bipolar condition that has plagued him since childhood. Rapture Waltz will be out on March 22nd.

Tour Dates:

(w/ Volores)

04/03 – Yucca Tap Room in Tempe, AZ
04/04 – Groundworks in Tucson, AZ
04/05 – Red Dwarf in Las Vegas, NV
04/06 – The Moroccan Lounge in Los Angeles, CA
04/07 – Bottom Of The Hill in San Francisco,
04/09 – Café Colonial in Sacramento, CA
04/10 – Sam Bind’s Garage in Eugene, OR
04/11 – The Fixin’ To in Portland, OR
04/12 – Funhouse @ El Corazon in Seattle, WA
04/14 – Urban Lounge in Salt Lake City, UT
04/15 – The Coast in Fort Collins, CO
04/16 – Mercury Café Jungle in Denver, CO
04/17 – Mini Bar in Kansas City, MO

(w/ Holdfast)

04/26 – Gman Tavern Chicago, IL
04/24 – 7thStreet Entry in Minneapolis, MN
04/25 – X-Ray Arcade in Cudahy, WI
04/27 – Natalie’s Grandview Columbus, OH
04/28 – Lager House in Detroit, MI
04/29 – The Rec Room Buffalo, NY
05/02 – Café Nine in New Haven, CT
05/03 – Drom in New York, NY
05/04 – Milkboy in Philadelphia, PA
05/05 – Pie Shop in Washington, DC
05/06 – Pour House in Raleigh, NC
05/09 – Smith’s Olde Bar Atlanta Room in Atlanta, GA
05/10 – The Nick in Birmingham, AL

Johnny Manchild and The Poor Bastards “So Much Better” single artwork