Tuesday, December 8, 2026McMenamins Presents
Apes of the State
Pigeon Pit
West End Entertainment District
7pm doors, 8pm show
All ages welcome
Apes of the State
Apes of the State is an independent Lancaster, PA-based folk punk band.
Apes of the State was born from the post-rehab bedroom folk punk project of singer/songwriter April Hartman in 2015. In her words: “I picked up a guitar and started writing about s*** instead of doing drugs about it.” Their sound is a distinct blend of classic folk punk, emo, pop punk, folk, and bluegrass with righteous, anger-fueled vocals and clever lyrical wordplay throughout. Drawing early influence from artists such as Pat the Bunny and Paul Baribeau, April filled out the sound of her stripped down and honest acoustic songwriting with a ramshackle crew of musicians collected from open mics and the music scene of their home base, Lancaster, PA. The current lineup consists of April Hartman on vocals and acoustic guitar, Mollie Swartz on violin, Ian Cornele on drums, and Moth Rogers on bass.
Following their first full-band release, This City Isn’t Big Enough, in 2016, the band quickly started building a name for themselves through rigorous and consistent DIY touring and clever use of community building via social media. Their second LP, Pipe Dream, was released in November 2019 just ahead of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Their full year of touring in support of the record was cancelled due to lockdowns. Undeterred by the setback, April went to work collaborating with the folk punk community virtually to create Coping with Dystopia, a livestream series that aired regularly through the lockdowns, raised over $10k for various charity organizations, and made Apes of the State a household name within the folk punk community. When they launched back into touring in 2021, they were playing bigger shows than ever before and upgraded their sound from the single mic, unplugged acoustic style to the full rock band lineup they tour with now.
April 2025 saw the band release their third full-length record, What’s Another Night? – their first in 6 years. What’s Another Night? features a maturation of both the songwriting and sonic approach of the band while staying true to the classic Apes of the State sound. The band spent the year touring across the US and Canada to perform the new songs for all of the fans who had been eagerly awaiting it, including tours spanning the East Coast, West Coast, and Midwest.
2026 marked the 10-year anniversary of Apes of the State’s debut record, This City Isn’t Big Enough, and the band embarked upon a multi-stage 10-year anniversary tour to celebrate it, playing the record front to back each night in its original instrumentation.
Inspired by the stripped down sound of their first record, April wrote and recorded an entire ten-song album from November 2025 to March 2026. Nothing Makes Sense Anymore was released Aug 4, 2026 and is a big throwback to their early sound, while still showcasing an evolution in songwriting. 2026 also marked the departure of founding member, Dan Ebersole, from the band and addition of Moth Rogers on bass.
Despite their growth, Apes of the State remains fiercely independent and practices a DIY ethos. They hope to serve as an example that you can achieve success outside of the traditional music industry framework. In April’s words, “We don’t beg for anyone to pay attention to us and give us opportunities – we create them for ourselves and our community.”
Event venue
McMenamins Mission Theater, McMenamins, 1624 NW Glisan St, Portland, OR 97209, United States
Tickets
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