Meet People R Ugly: The Alt-Pop Mayhem Worth Breaking Your Scroll For

PHOTO CREDIT - Krissy Saleh

The social media space has been flooded with bands hungry to stand out and make a name for themselves in the industry. I find myself scrolling past the so-called “Tik Tok” musicians from time to time and it’s rare that one will stand out to me. Not that the term “tik tok” band is a band thing, I can appreciate this new wave of marketing. I think the market is so flooded that it’s hard not to get categorized as a “skip”.  But every so often, a band drops into your world without warning and suddenly you’re binge-listening like you’ve known them forever. Enter: People R Ugly — the SoCal alt-pop quartet rewriting what a crossover band can look and sound like. While my first impression was based from an Instagram reel , it’s safe to say that their ability to sing their song in Simlish caught my attention quickly.

Their latest release, GARAGE, is a drive down PCH in a convertible while wearing a bandanna and having my hair blow in the wind type of album— every track a different mood, memory, or meltdown. You’re flipping through my different ruminative thoughts, but the band is always in the middle of the signal.

PRU’S music has that electrifying pandemonium — juicy melodies wrapped in smooth chaos and clever emotional honesty. Pop highs, alt-rock grit, indie dreamscapes, and hip-hop edges — every track a new shape. Nothing repeats. Nothing feels recycled. Yet every song screams them. It’s a rare talent to sound unpredictable and unmistakable at the same time. Their songs each live in their own little universe, but the glue is the band’s chemistry. Choruses detonate like confetti cannons, instrumentals boom loudly. They build music that feels like motion — like the moment a rollercoaster drops.

With my short attention span, I’m prone to experiencing boredom at a fast pace. However, PRU is literally the ADHD medication I have been looking for. If I must capture PRU’s essence think Y2K (for those of you who weren’t born, Pinterest is an option) Think: the thrill of burning CDs mixed with the lawless thrill of early YouTube discoveries. They’re modern, but comfortingly familiar — a soundtrack for people who survived both Myspace and TikTok culture.

As they put it:

“We pull from everywhere — internet anomalies, 2000s alt staples, hip-hop giants, anything that sparks a reaction. If we get excited, we chase it”

People R Ugly are charging headfirst into their next chapter and there’s no plans of slowing down. The saying goes, “shoot for the stars” well PRU is living amongst them. From DM-formed mayhem to a defining voice in the next wave of alternative music — they’re proving that delusion isn’t a downfall. Sometimes, it’s the spark.

You know that latest tik tok trend that’s like “White boys please get back into the garage and make music like this again” [ insert “Dirty Little Secret” by The All-American Rejects], well PRU is kicking that GARAGE door down. You’re welcome for the next social media post by the way…