Photo: Josh Verduzco

There’s more than a little country to Austin band Hello Caller’s “Box Above the Belt,” from its shuffling beat and twangy vocals, to the dive bar atmosphere evoked in the lyrics. But we’re pretty sure Hank didn’t do it this way when it comes to the Fight Club references that inhabit the dives of which frontman Brian Ferguson sings. “It’s cool when songs have multiple aspects, not just one thing; it’s got to be really good if it’s going to be straightforward and laid out,” he says. “So I tried to do that with this one, and I took my inspiration from Fight Club, mixing it with a lowbrow dive bar culture.”

For all the grittiness of Ferguson’s lyrics, the soaring harmonies and xylophone notes that “Box Above the Belt” utilizes as the song climaxes elevate the scene of a small-town fistfight circle from something grimy to something that’s closer to transcendent. That’s a nice touch, and something that makes the song stick in your ears once the punching is over.

Hello Caller’s debut album Dark Twain is out November 6. Stream “Box Above the Belt” below: