THE PORTABLE INFINITE: HAYLEY AND THE CRUSHERS Take The Primitives’ “Crash” for a Sparkly Joyride

9/29/2026

HAYLEY AND THE CRUSHERS Take The Primitives’ “Crash” for a Sparkly Joyride

Glitter Punk
HAYLEY AND THE CRUSHERS
Sets A Deliciously Catchy Collision Course With The Primitives' "Crash”
In A Sparkly And Inspired Punk Cover

Forthcoming Album Due in 2027 via Kitten Robot Records

Hayley and the Crushers "Crash" (originally by The Primitives)
Video: https://youtu.be/3PTbs4pUy0Q?si=uOVYVbx7NFTeUWxQ

SEPTEMBER 29, 2026 (Detroit, MI) — “We've always loved songs that feel like candy with a switchblade tucked inside,” says frontwoman Hayley Cain of glitter-punk instigators Hayley and the Crushers who put their own high-octane spin on The Primitives’ iconic 1988 hit “Crash” (out today). Hayley and the Crushers’ version retains the irresistible jangle-pop sweetness of the original's '60s girl-group melodies + Buzzcocks-style buzzsaw guitars while turning up the volume, attitude, and general potential for vehicular mayhem. In turn, they transform the beloved alt-pop classic into a candy-coated, guitar-charged Crushers romp. "'Crash’ has that perfect mix of innocence, adrenaline and danger,” she says. “We leaned into the hooks, turned up the guitars and gave it a fresh coat of sparkle. There's no way to improve upon the original, but that didn't stop us from throwing it into the Crushermobile for a spin around the block.”

The accompanying video takes that sentiment literally (or at least as literally as anything in the Crushers’ universe can be). Set against the gritty backdrop of a Detroit junkyard, the video mixes lip-sync performance footage with a gloriously zany van ride packed with slapstick humor, camp, and a healthy dose of Weekend at Bernie's-style hijinks. The result feels like the soundtrack to a summer joyride that has already taken a few questionable turns.

“‘Crash’” also continues a long-running Crushers tradition: taking songs they love and throwing them into their own glitter-covered blender. Over the years, the band has put its distinctive stamp on songs associated with X, The Ramones, The Shivvers, The Go-Go’s, and Kim Wilde, gravitating toward music that feels quirky, colorful, hook-heavy, and unmistakably rooted in the ’80s. Musically, their take on “Crash” fits right into that lineage — infectious enough to sing along to, scrappy enough to feel dangerous, and loud enough to require the windows-down approach. It’s another example of the band’s knack for finding the sweet spot between punk aggression and pop abandon.

Hayley and the Crushers
Photo credit: Cory Marie Podielski
L to R: Stacy Binelli, Dr. Cain ESQ aka Reid Cain, Hayley Crusher Cain, and Ryan Deliso

The release follows “Cringeworthy,” the band’s sharp-edged, pro-cringe anthem about finally putting down the emotional baggage that isn’t yours to carry. Inspired by frontwoman Hayley Cain’s own experiences unpacking generational trauma through therapy, the song turns personal excavation into a defiant celebration of embracing imperfection. Before that came “Jewel Case,” a long-beloved Crushers live staple that finally received its first proper studio recording nearly a decade after Cain originally wrote it. The band’s signature closing anthem arrived alongside a sweat-soaked performance video designed to capture the chaotic, anything-can-happen energy of a Crushers show.

Together, “Jewel Case,” “Cringeworthy,” and now “Crash” offers three very different windows into the Crushers’ evolving world: reckless abandon, emotional honesty, and pure pop-culture-fueled fun. All three, however, share the band’s trademark collision of punk attitude, power-pop hooks, garage-rock grit, and surf-rock shimmer.

The new material continues the trajectory established by the band’s acclaimed EP Unsubscribe From The Underground, which fused Detroit grit with West Coast sparkle while taking aim at burnout, identity, digital disconnection, and the absurdities of modern life. Their forthcoming album, due in 2027 via Kitten Robot Records, will push that restless spirit even further — proving that the Crushers can get introspective without getting precious, nostalgic without getting stuck in the past, and silly without ever losing their edge. And if “Crash” is any indication, they’re having a hell of a good time getting there.

Hayley and The Crushers are Hayley Crusher Cain (guitar and vocals), Dr. Cain ESQ aka Reid Cain (bass), Ryan Deliso (lead guitar), and Stacy Binelli (drums). “Crash” is out now on all streaming platforms via Kitten Robot Records.