People R Ugly formed in reverse: drummer Tristan Kevitch booked a show at Los Angeles’ Whisky a Go Go before he had a band, then recruited Zak Dossi, Julian Delgrosso and Bill Biers online and gave the four-piece just seven days to write, rehearse and get onstage. Their leap-first mindset still drives a Southern California mix of alt-pop, punk, indie rock and hip-hop, where breakups, self-worth and the unease of growing older are delivered with humor and an invitation not to take yourself too seriously. The band’s 2023 breakouts “What’s Up?” and “BRAIN DEAD” had reached 5 million and 3 million YouTube Music plays respectively by August 2026, while a 2025 festival run spanning Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Summerfest and Vans Warped Tour was amplified by co-signs from Lil Jon and YoungBloodZ’s Sean P for “BETTER.” Their October 2025 debut album, GARAGE, was produced in Dossi’s Orange County garage, and its “WAKE UP” video featured Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus before receiving recognition in SXSW’s 2026 music-video program. When a former label deal left them carrying debt, People R Ugly responded in May 2026 by creating the eight-track OPEN 24 HOURS in a single 16-hour session, with Sublime’s Jakob Nowell among the collaborators, and they will bring that independent energy to Vans Warped Tour Orlando in November.
For Marriott Bonvoy, People R Ugly offer a way to make the stay part of the headline experience, reflecting how music fans remember a trip not only by the stage they saw, but by the room where friends regrouped, replayed the night and started planning the next one.
