Norwegian Bokassa completely blew the metal world’s minds away just under ten years ago when Metallica announced they would be taking the band on tour, and now the band is starting a new era in their career. The melodic stoner rock single Doesn’t Matter If You Love It Here, with its desert vibe, is a return to its roots and its own label, Kings of Stonerpunk Records, through which Bokassa also released its debut album Divide & Conquer in 2017, which catapulted the band to global fame.

Frontman Jørn Kaarstad is excited that the band is releasing music themselves again:

“We’ve always been a band that does a lot of things ourselves, and the DIY spirit has been there since I booked our shows for the first five years of our existence – yes, even the Metallica tour. We’ve always dreamed of doing this ourselves again, and we’re really excited to take this step with this new single.”

Recorded at Otterhead Studios in England, the single was produced, recorded and mixed by two-time Grammy winner Adrian Bushby (Foo Fighters, Muse, The Darkness) and mastered by George Perks (Don Broco, Enter Shikari).

“Doesn’t Matter If You Love It Here is about how we as a civilization have treated the Earth over a long period of time, and how everything may now end because of our indifference. It’s like a relationship that has reached its end and can no longer be saved. It’s kind of like the bond between humans and the Earth’s natural resources,” the band describes.

The new single was accompanied by a music video in which the band auditions for a bassist – with rather tragic and even bloody consequences. The video has a grindhouse-esque look and feel, and serves as an homage to the slasher B-movies of the 70s and 80s, says Kaarstad.

“I love horror movies, and the campy horror flicks from the 70s and 80s have a special place in my heart. They’re often silly and scary at the same time, so we wanted to do something similar (pun intended) – and I think we succeeded!”

With the release of the single, Bokassa will embark on a summer tour, where the band will be seen on the same stages as Clutch or Lagwagon in addition to their own festival gigs:

31.05.26 ÉLYSÉE MONTMARTRE, PARIS – FR*
02.06.26 TRANSBORDEUR, LYON – FR*
04.06.26 SALA RIVIERA, MADRID – ES*
05.06.26 SALA APOLO, BARCELONA – ES*
06.06.26 SALA SANTANA 27, BILBAO – ES*
20.06.26 TRANDALROCK, TRANDAL – NO
03.07.26 LØDDEPØNK WAKESTOCKFESTIVAL – NO
02.08.26 F-HAUS, JENA – DE^
04.08.26 HIRSCH, NUREMBERG – DE^
05.08.26 COLOS-SAAL, ASCHAFFENBURG – DE^
07.08.26 CLUB VAUDEVILLE, LINDAU – DE^
08.08.26 SUBSTAGE, KARLSRUHE – DE^
05.09.26 HIGH VOLTAGE ROCKFEST, BERGEN – NO

*Clutch
^Lagwagon

Line-Up:
Jørn Kaarstad – vocals and guitar
Olav Dowkes – drums

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