The alternative rock deities have blessed the populace with a phenomenal announcement. Filthy Friends, the relatively new supergroup that was formed by R.E.M.’s Peter Buck and Sleater-Kinney’s Corin Tucker, have announced that their debut record, Invitation, was confirmed for an August 25 release date.

In addition to the pair from R.E.M. and Sleater-Kinney, Filthy Friends features members of King Crimson, the Minus 5, and Fastbacks. They had formed in Portland, OR, and performed their first show at the Todos Santos Music Festival early last year.

The connection between Buck and Tucker stretches way farther back, according to the R.E.M. member. Buck said that he first heard Sleater-Kinney play to an empty room on “the day that Princess Diana died. I remember thinking, ‘Where did these people come from?’ It was a totally unique take on what punk rock was.” Tucker reciprocated, calling herself a “lifelong R.E.M. fan.”

At conception, the group was meant to be a one-off affair. But now, Filthy Friends apparently will be “cultivating a sound” that is intentionally different from both R.E.M. and Sleater-Kinney.

“The music sort of brought me back to my high school days, and to a memory of a girl who left home at the time,” Tucker said. “[Lyrically] it’s a sad story, but I wanted to make it rock & roll, so I sort of channeled a Replacements/Paul Westerberg vibe.”

Filthy Friends’ previous releases include the single “Any Kind of Crowd,” which was released on this year’s Record Store Day. The band had also previously released the anti-Trump track “Despierata” and “Love in the Time of Resistance,” which was recorded for Battle Hymns compilation curated to benefit the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, and 350.org.

Obviously, the members of Filthy Friends are pretty familiar with taking a political stance in their lyrics. Tucker says that issues like the murder of Trayvon Martin and the Paris Climate Agreement inspired her writing.

Check out the new single “The Arrival” below, as well as more information about the upcoming record. The supergroup also has a few summer tour dates lined up, so check them out too.

The supergroup has a few summer tour dates lined up in the US, which you can find below.

Filthy Friends 2017 Tour Dates
08/25: Eugene, OR – Hi Fi Music Hall
08/25: Portland, OR – Musicfest NW presents Project Pabst
08/29: San Francisco, CA – The Independent
08/30: Los Angeles, CA – Teragram Ballroom
09/01: Seattle, WA – Bumbershoot
09/06: Brooklyn, NY – The Bell House