Apes of the State is an independent Lancaster, PA based folk punk band. Apes of the State was born from the post-rehab bedroom folk punk project of singer/songwriter April Hartman in 2015. In her words: “I picked up a guitar and started writing about s*** instead of doing drugs about it.” Their sound is a distinct blend of classic folk punk, emo, pop punk, folk, and bluegrass with attitude fueled vocals spitting clever lyrical wordplay. The current lineup consists of Dan Ebersole on mandolin & electric guitar, Mollie Swartz on bass & violin, & Ian Cornele on drums. Despite their growth Apes of the State remains fiercely independent and practices a DIY ethos. They hope to serve as an example that you can achieve success outside of the traditional music industry framework. In April’s words, “we don’t beg for anyone to pay attention to us and give us opportunities – we create them for ourselves and our community.”