LISTEN: Saudi Oil Craft Explosive & Refreshing Post-Punk on “Hair in My Shower Drain”

Saudi Oil is an American punk band formed in 2025 in New York City. The group consists of Christopher Aljumah (vocals, guitar), Rayan Mustafa (vocals, guitar), Raphael Fineberg (drums), Derrick Cheung (bass), and various collaborators on synth.

Saudi Oil was formed accidentally after Aljumah—a practicing architect—slipped a clause into his contract while designing Partisan Records’ venue Mews, requiring the label to listen to a six-song EP upon completion of the project. The venue opened, the EP was played, and the band was born.

What followed was a run of high-energy, avant-garde performances, beginning at Partisan’s short-lived but influential venue Mews, with standout shows at Baby’s All Right, Nightclub 101, Ella Emhoff’s birthday party (where the band sold out of T-Shirts with Osama bin Laden kissing Tyrese Halliburton), and a string of DIY events across the city.

Saudi Oil is primed to be the next golden child of NYC punk, and their latest single only cements this sentiment further. “Hair in My Shower Drain” is an unassuming yet lively and unforgettable single from a band that has seemingly already found the nuances of their artistry that set them apart from their peers and parades them proudly, with a sparse yet potent arrangement that dips into horn-driven epics as easily as spacious electro-punk, offering a detailed look into Saudi Oil’s individuality. These off-kilter yet infectious grooves emphasize the poetic songwriting, where Saudi Oil paints a vivid portrait of moving on. “Hair in My Shower Drain” is an anthemic ode to daring creativity and bringing only the necessities into this next phase of life, all while properly introducing an exciting new voice in a burgeoning punk scene.