The Fool’s Agenda rage against a rock and roll popularity contest with ‘Dumb (Take Me Out)’
Salem grunge-pop and alternative rock band unleash a
propulsive new single poking fun at poseurs
OUT NOW: Listen to ‘Dumb (Take Me Out)’ via Spotify
Sophomore album set for October release
Listen to May single ‘Feel So High’ on Spotify
The Fool’s Agenda play Warehouse XI in Somerville on August 15; Moon Base One in Salem on August 31 and September 5; and Ralph’s in Worcester on September 27
SALEM, Mass. [August 15, 2025] – Every artist and band making music in 2025 has to come to a difficult decision at one point or another: Are they musicians or are they content creators, and do they care more about their art or their style? The line between the two has been increasingly blurred in recent years, with musicians forced to step outside their comfort zones and adhere more to the whims of the algorithm and societal trends than any sort of creative fulfillment through the music itself.
The Fool’s Agenda sees this playing out in real time, as do the rest of us, and they’ve understandably had enough of it. The Salem grunge-pop band channels their frustrations into a propulsive new single called “Dumb (Take Me Out)”, set for streaming release on Friday, August 15.
The follow-up to March’s “Monsters” and May’s “Feel So High,” the latest from the cynically whimsical quartet is a dizzying spell of riff-fueled alt-rock rage and will be featured on their forthcoming sophomore album, due out in October.
“Rock and roll has never been about being cool or trendy – it’s always been misfits making art to feel seen by one another,” say The Fool’s Agenda. “Somewhere along the line, it became somewhat of a popularity contest: Who’s got the best content, the coolest outfits; people looking to be adored as a sense of validation through their art rather than looking for a community and to make a difference with it. It’s really easy to fall into that trap when you so badly want to be successful. This song is making fun of that whole mentality.”
And that it does. As songwriter, lyricist, and powerhouse vocalist Rhiannon Raine blasts through the track with a breakneck delivery that shifts from hypnotic deadpan to confrontational fury, the rest of the band – guitarist Kyle Erickson; bassist Jon Gray; and percussionist Kamryn Bode – backs her up with a punk rock ferocity and frenzied urgency.
“Dumb (Take Me Out)” should sound as lively on stage as it does on record when The Fool’s Agenda play Warehouse XI in Somerville with Pearl on release night, August 15, as well as Moon Base One in their native Salem on August 31 in support of Kick Out The Rogue and Super Beef. A few days later, they return to the sober all-ages venue for a headlining gig on September 5. The next day, The Fool’s Agenda take it outside for a free outdoor matinee show at Wakefield Porchfest on September 6, and then play Ralph’s in Worcester on September 27 with Gold Star Boulevard.
And hey, before anyone attends a Fool’s Agenda show thinking this is a band full of criticisms, be aware that some of that commentary Raine dishes out on “Dumb (Take Me Out)” is also aimed back at themselves. Because all is fair in love, glitter, and rock and roll.
“We’ve always taken ourselves very seriously,” they add, “and this is the first song where we intentionally tried to focus on having fun. It’s us making fun of who we used to be.”
Putting a focus on the music and not sweating the details has been a hallmark of this new era for The Fool’s Agenda. After releasing debut album Reversing The Tower in 2021, the band has shifted away ever so slightly from a Fleetwood Mac-inspired classic rock sound to explore gritter, more expansive alternative rock, pop, and even bluesy elements.
Those came together in the yearning “Monsters” and anthemic “Feel So High,” and now reach a fever pitch in “Dumb (Take Me Out)” a sparkpug of a rock and roll banger that clocks in at a mere 140 seconds. It wouldn't feel out of place on a playlist alongside Olivia Rodrigo, Meg and Dia, Paramore, The Pretty Reckless, and that other new band you just discovered the other day. Because when the focus is on music and not just creating content for clicks, likes, and follows, and not really caring what others seem to think, sometimes the art just falls into place.
“We were hanging out at The Record Co. between auditions and the instrumentation and chorus came together in literally five minutes,” the band adds. “Raini was in a flu-induced fog at the time and decided to rewrite the verses, and came back a couple weeks later with the punchy vocals you hear now. We’d never written anything like it, and it’s the fastest any of our songs have come together.”
Produced by Logan Tichnor and recorded at Checkpoint East Studios in Orleans, Massachusetts, “Dumb (Take Me Out)” sets a striking tone for what’s to come on the new album. The project has grown a great deal since its formation just before the pandemic hit, and each member has also experienced a wealth of change. The new album reflects that.
“‘Dumb’ is the finale, the period at the end of the sentence,” The Fool’s Agenda declare. “The album has been written gradually over the last three years, and chronicles the experience of maturing emotionally in your 20s. This is the song where you’re finally mature enough to laugh at yourself in the face and move on from who you used to be, and coping mechanisms you used to use. The rest of the album chronicles those coping mechanisms.”
For that chapter to unfold, we’ll have to wait for the album. In the meantime, “Dumb (Take Me Out) provides an intriguing glimpse of a band starting to truly find its footing, its voice, and its place in the Boston music scene. And it’s very much indicative of who The Fool’s Agenda are in 2025.
It’s an Instagram Reel come to life, a TikTok video played out across IRL stages around New England, a viral Tweet showcasing a band with a lot to say and an acute awareness of just how to say it.
“This is the newest song that we’ve written, and it also is the most representative of where we are right now,” they conclude.
Posting that should be enough.
The Fool’s Agenda is:
Rhiannon Raine: vocals
Kyle Erickson: Guitar
Jon Gray: Bass
Kamryn Bode: Percussion
‘Dumb (Take Me Out)’ single artwork:
‘Dumb (Take Me Out)’ production credits:
Music and lyrics by Rhiannon Raine
Produced by Logan Tichnor
Recorded at Checkpoint East Studios in Orleans, MA
The Fool’s Agenda short bio:
The Fool’s Agenda are a grunge-pop band known for sharp lyricism, high-energy live shows, and a sound that hits somewhere between a throwback and a breakdown. Led by powerhouse vocalist Rhiannon Raine, the Salem (MA) quartet blend gritty alt-rock riffs, bluesy grooves, and catchy pop hooks to create music that is both bratty and bold; it’s unapologetic, emotionally raw, and dangerously fun.
Since forming after the pandemic, The Fool’s Agenda have sold out Boston-area venues like The Middle East Upstairs and The Jungle, performed at regional festivals such as The Big E in West Springfield and Veterans Rock Music Festival on Cape Cod, and built a passionate fanbase across their native Massachusetts.
Fit for a playlist alongside Olivia Rodrigo, Meg and Dia, Paramore, and The Pretty Reckless, The Fool’s Agenda’s bold and engaging sound converges in a melting pot of messy glitter and beat up Chucks, creating a cathartic space for those who grew up screaming in their bedrooms and haven’t stopped since.
After the release of a string of singles, including March’s “Monsters,” May’s “Feel So High” and August’s “Dumb (Take Me Out),” The Fool’s Agenda are set to release their sophomore album this October. Fool around and find out.
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