Some songs feel like summer. Others feel like the aftermath.
Public Works lands somewhere in between on ‘Sunburn’, a high-energy emo-rock release that pairs massive hooks with the kind of brutal honesty that’s impossible to fake. It’s loud, catchy and packed with the emotional fallout of a relationship that unravelled in real time.
Released via Hopeless Records, Sunburn starts with memories of reckless nights at a beach bar in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, before taking an unexpected turn into deeply personal territory. What began as a song about summer quickly became something much closer to home.
Reflecting on the track, Public Works shared:
“At first, we wrote this song about a beach bar in Seaside Heights, NJ. I used to have some really great and ugly summer nights there… I’m half the reason they took the stall doors off in the men’s bathroom. About halfway into the song, I realised Sunburn became more about someone in particular. Unbeknownst to myself, I was writing this song about my girlfriend at the time… who was sitting right next to me in Chris Freeman’s studio. So while this may be my catchiest song yet, it’s bittersweet. Sunburn is the reason I’m single.”
Behind Public Works is New Jersey artist Jacob Dietrich, whose songs blend pop-punk urgency with blue-collar storytelling and deeply personal lyricism. Whether he’s writing about sobriety, chasing something bigger than his hometown or navigating life’s messy moments, there’s an authenticity that cuts through every release.
Following his recent signing to Hopeless Records, Sunburn marks another step forward for the rising artist, delivering a track that feels equally at home blasting through festival speakers or soundtracking a late-night drive with the windows down.
If this is a sign of what’s still to come, Public Works is only just getting started.
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