New York duo Lowertown will release their album Ugly Duckling Union on 22 May via Summer Shade, accompanied by lead single ‘I Like You A Lot’ and a North American tour.

New York duo Lowertown have announced their signing to Summer Shade and their upcoming album Ugly Duckling Union, due out on 22 May. The announcement comes alongside the release of lead single 'I Like You A Lot', a rare love song that captures the physical sensations of infatuation with spry drums and lo-fi, twangy guitars.

The track was written about the hope of a new crush and the intoxicating feelings of admiring someone from afar. The band describe it as exploring the obsessive and compulsive nature of these feelings, alongside the insecurity of whether they will be reciprocated.

Lowertown is the songwriting partnership of Olivia Osby and Avsha Weinberg. After years of constant touring, label changes, and creative struggles, the pair revisited their roots in Atlanta’s punk communities and the early internet spaces that shaped their connection. Their new album, Ugly Duckling Union, is a conceptual project centred on Dale, a duckling protagonist, and his companions as they unite to fight a tyrannical media corporation called LBH.

The album is supported by a conceptual story, a playable Minecraft world, a handbook, plush dolls, and comics by Doctor Nowhere (Silas Orion), creating a shared space for fans to connect. Lowertown have cultivated a dedicated online community through their Discord server, Instagram, and YouTube, with shows often attended by fans who met online.

Alongside the album announcement, Lowertown have revealed an extensive North American headline tour running from late April to the end of June. The tour culminates with a hometown show at New York’s Bowery Ballroom. Tickets go on sale on 13 February at 10am local time.

Ugly Duckling Union was fully written, recorded, produced, and mixed by Osby and Weinberg, reflecting their hands-on approach. Osby explains the album is a celebration of community and freedom for outsiders, describing the music as being for “misfit toys” like themselves.

Key details

Album: Ugly Duckling Union
Release date: 22 May 2026
Label: Summer Shade
Lead single: I Like You A Lot
Tour: North American headline tour from 28 April to 27 June 2026, concluding at Bowery Ballroom, New York City
Band members: Olivia Osby, Avsha Weinberg
Album fully written, recorded, produced, and mixed by Osby and Weinberg