Nashville punks Winona Fighter released their debut full-length album in February, but a deluxe version of My Apologies To The Chef recently dropped on September 5. This new digital edition finds the trio pulling more elements from their live show while recording acoustic versions of all 14 tracks.

Coco Kinnon, Dan Fuson, and Austin Luthor burst onto the scene in 2022 with the EP Father Figure. They included three songs from the EP on their recent debut, “Subaru,” “You Look Like A Drunk Phoebe Bridgers,” and “Wlbrn St Tvrn.”

The original tracks were recorded in Luthor’s home studio, and the re-recording of acoustic versions found them emulating the raw camaraderie of their live shows. According to Kinnon in a press release, they “just love to play (especially together) as much as possible,” and the deluxe LP showcases them stripped down to their musician bones.

Their joy and enthusiasm for performing comes through on the new tracks, with “some of them being the [three] of us, each with a guitar, around one microphone,” said Kinnon. Winona Fighter is known for having exuberant live energy, and while the acoustic tracks are stripped back, the band is no less excited to perform.

Winona fighter steps “away from the artist title” and showcases musicianship on deluxe album

Also included alongside all 14 acoustic tracks are two covers and a new single. Winona Fighter took on “Sabotage” by The Beastie Boys and “Blister In The Sun” by The Violent Femmes as bonus material.

“Sabotage” comes with a monochrome video documented live from Siena Studios in Nashville. Kinnon takes her explosive turn on the drums and vocals, banging out the iconic opening riffs. It’s a delightfully punk homage to the 1994 single and eternal genre-bending Beasties.

Speaking with Rock Sound earlier this year, Kinnon commented on where Winona Fighter hopes the new record with take them. Essentially, it’s about finding enough success to keep making music and supporting the bands who come after.

“What I keep on saying about this record is that all we can hope for is that it achieves a level of success where we can start writing for the next one and continue doing this and continue having an impact,” she said. “Again, it’s about paying it forward. We were the kids who had nobody believing in us. So, I welcome the work that is to come.”

Photo by Lindsey Byrnes