New Jersey Stage logo
New Jersey Stage Menu



 

Little Hag Releases "Leash"

originally published: 10/15/2021


New Jersey's self-proclaimed bitch rockers, Little Hag, have released Leash via Bar/None Records. The band said the album came together in between night classes, bartending shifts, first kisses, last kisses, shitty gigs, karaoke nights and all the emptiness of the quarantine that came after. 

Little Hag is Mandeville (she/her) on guitar and complaining, Matt Fernicola (he/him) on lead guitar, Owen Flanagan (he/him) on drums, Chris Dubrow (he/him) on bass, and Noah Rauchwerk (he/him) on keys and emotional support.

On the record, Mandeville shares, “It’s a sarcastic but seriously cynical pop rock soundtrack for the dropouts and the disappointments; for that moment when your head hits the pillow and you relive your every shortcoming and mistake.” 

Fans can stream the album in its entirety now at this link.

Leash calls out familiar themes of abusive men, stalking social media, and reckless driving. Something is holding a defeated and nostalgic Mandeville hostage, tethered to her misanthropic perspective. But she’s not wrong in her grievances; men are disgusting, women are beautiful, fear is paralyzing and death is imminent. Time to face it.




Please support the advertisers at New Jersey Stage!
Want info on how to advertise? Click here



Mandeville and producer Erik Kase Romero (The Front Bottoms, Deal Casino) began testing the waters of this record together in 2018 with “My Last Name,” a stripped down and sentimental ode to the memories that derail us. Things only get louder from there, with tracks like the fuzzy, complaint laden “The Whole World” and the brutal rocker about killing before being killed, “Brass Knuckle Keychain.” The washed out arrangements on “Cherry” and twinkling piano on “Schlub” carry the heavy emotional weight of the record; traversing the hoops we jump through and the traps we fall for in love and lust. Mandeville’s intense vibrato sharpens the impact every time, with a poignancy evocative of Adrianne Lenker and Sharon van Etten. Little Hag wear their many flaws with pride, dressing up their baggage and taking it out for a night on the town. 

Little Hag’s visuals are brash enough to match their sonic energy. The bizarre and bold video for "Get Real!"  features a whole lot of dancing and green screen madness, and "Cherry" walks the line of sincerity and sarcasm via an exploration into a past relationship with an unlikely star.

Signed by the Hoboken label just before the shut down, Little Hag emerged in 2020 with “Tetris,” a 2 minute slice of pure pop pugnaciousness. A compilation LP titled Whatever Happened To Avery Jane? followed, chronicling Avery’s many pleasures and pains, and made a splash on college radio and commercial specialty shows. The brash feminist anthem “Get Real!” kicked off summer 2021 with a bang, calling out shitty club promoters and venue owners for their casual and internalized sexism.

The release of the full length album ‘Leash’ follows the release of a 3 track EP called ‘Breakfast’ - an unholy trinity of tracks that are sure to make you squirm. Named after the band’s favorite bodily fluids, “Blood,” “Cum,” and “Piss” are now streaming here.

‘Breakfast’ erased any polite image Little Hag might have had left, harnessing every last drop of taboo and discomfort to chew up and spit out three unique stories from three different times in frontwoman Avery Mandeville’s life. A pregnancy scare, a nasty old pervert, and a battle with chronic illness are fodder to help us laugh through the pain until we learn to make the pain our bitch.

“Piss” chronicles Mandeville’s clash with the healthcare system and the human body, both of which failed her hardcore in 2020 and 2021. The video, shot and edited by Mandeville, walks us through all the time spent in bathrooms as she struggles with undiagnosed and untreated chronic pelvic pain, no longer able to fake smiles for the comfort of others. Dismissive doctors and debilitating pain drive Mandeville to her limits, but she finds solace in venting about it with Little Hag’s trademark brand of brutal sarcasm. 

Passion of the Weiss calls Little Hag “…a thrilling songwriter, untethered from time and place, sending DMs and shade, not greetings, from Asbury Park.” 




Please support the advertisers at New Jersey Stage!
Want info on how to advertise? Click here



Leash Tracklisting:

1) The Whole World

2) Cherry

3) Blood

4) Leash

5) Red

6) My Last Name

7) Get Real!

8) Brass Knuckle Keychain

9) Schlub




Please support the advertisers at New Jersey Stage!
Want info on how to advertise? Click here



10) Devil’s Dishes

11) Wet Brain

PHOTO BY DANA YURCISIN



FEATURED EVENTS

ART | COMEDY | DANCE | FILM | MUSIC | THEATRE | COMMUNITY

To narrow results by date range, categories,
or region of New Jersey
click here for our advanced search.


Blues

Blues People with Special Guest: Jeff Levine

Saturday, July 05, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJ 08087
category: music

Click here for full event listing

 

Straight

Straight No Chaser - Summer: The 90’s Part 2

Tuesday, July 08, 2025 @ 7:00pm
Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC)
30 North Van Brunt Street, Englewood, NJ 07631
category: music

Click here for full event listing

 

Frisson

Frisson Winds

Thursday, July 10, 2025 @ 7:30pm
The Morris Museum Back Deck
6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown, NJ 07960
category: music

Click here for full event listing

 

Three

Three American Troubadours: A Tribute to James Taylor, Carly Simon, and Carole King

Thursday, July 10, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Axelrod Performing Arts Center
100 Grant Avenue, Deal Park, NJ 07723
category: music

Click here for full event listing

 

Candlelight

Candlelight Concert: Tribute to Queen and The Beatles

Friday, July 11, 2025 @ 7:00pm
Monmouth University - Pollak Theatre
400 Cedar Avenue, West Long Branch, NJ 07764
category: music

Click here for full event listing

 

More events

Event Listings are available for $10 and included with our banner ad packages




 

EVENT PREVIEWS

Jazz

Jazz Concert at Trenton City Museum will Feature the Joe Baione Vibraphone Experience

(TRENTON, NJ) -- Trenton City Museum will present a free jazz concert Friday, July 18, 2025 at the museum's Ellarslie Mansion in Cadwalader Park. Featuring world-renowned vibraphonist Joe Baione, the Joe Baione Vibraphone Experience is the first group to perform in a series of jazz events leading up to the museum's 2026 TRENTON MAKES JAZZ exhibition, in collaboration with the City of Trenton.



The

The Newton Theatre presents Tonight's the Night - a tribute to Rod Stewart

(NEWTON, NJ) -- Tonight's the Night - a tribute band that celebrates the music of Rod Stewart - will perform at The Newton Theatre on Saturday, September 27, 2025 at 8:00pm.



Hoboken's

Hoboken's Sinatra Park to Host Concert by Freedy Johnson and Karyn Kuhl and the Gang

(HOBOKEN, NJ) -- Local events organizer, Geri Fallo, who retired last year, is inviting you to celebrate with her, as she embraces new and exciting endeavors. Come enjoy a free evening of music in Hoboken's Sinatra Park (525 Sinatra Drive) on Thursday, July 17, 2025. The evening is presented by Mayor Ravi Bhalla, The Hoboken Division of Cultural Affairs, and Geri Fallo. The event is free, and music starts at 6:30pm. Come early for the best seating.



An

An Interview with Dan Kurtz of The New Deal

Formed in 1999, Toronto, Canada based trio The New Deal, is a pioneer in jam-based electronic music. The group was founded by remaining members Dan Kurtz (bass) and Jamie Shields (keys), along with Darren Shearer (drums) who left tND in 2011. Since its inception, tND has remained committed to its improvisational roots and has served as a model for other jamtronica bands bridging the gap between multiple music genres as well as the border between Canada and the United States.



Two

Two NJ Jazz Musicians Will Play with The Jazz Ambassadors in Morristown

Pianist Anthony Pocetti grew up in Hamilton, NJ, studying piano, "doing sort of traditional piano lessons. I have an uncle who was always encouraging me to get into the jazz thing. He gave me the (Miles Davis) Kind of Blue CD, and he knew that the jazz pianist Jim Ridl was living in Hamilton."