fish narc’s Uncle Puts Acoustic Songwriting into Full-Band Focus

fish narc’s Uncle is scheduled for October 16 through K Records, with Ben Funkhouser sharpening a guitar-driven approach around songs designed to work on acoustic guitar and expand into a full band. The 11-track album was recorded and produced by Alex Farrar and follows 2025’s frog song.

Songs built to travel from acoustic guitar to a band

In an October 14 interview with New Noise Magazine, Funkhouser named Big Star, the Replacements and Paul Westerberg’s solo records as influences. His stated aim was simpler, more relatable writing rooted in traditional song structures.

That ambition did not mean abandoning his production background. Funkhouser said he typically began Uncle’s writing process with a beat and built parts around it, while aspiring to compose more directly with a guitar in his lap.

Alex Farrar and the first single

Farrar’s involvement gave that material another perspective. In K’s August announcement, Funkhouser explained that he wanted a producer who could preserve the songs’ individual character while developing them further. He singled out Farrar’s work with Wednesday as part of the appeal.

The album’s first single, “Much Less Me,” offered an early introduction. K highlighted its opening guitar solo, while the accompanying Super 8 video, shot by Jolie M-A, documented Funkhouser’s final days in Olympia before his move to Los Angeles. The track appears alongside “Emma,” “Not to Guess” and “Yakima Canyon.”

K and the artist’s Bandcamp page both list October 16 as the release date, although their store pages still displayed preorder wording when checked. Full-album streaming availability has not been confirmed.