NYC project LAPTOP has released a new single, “Indie Hero,” a song that’s both a love letter to late 20th-century cool and a critique of toxic hero worship.
Maintaining the band’s usual cinematic synths and bitter-dry humor, LAPTOP’s frontman, Jessie Hartman, is sharing the spotlight with his son, Charlie Hartman. Their album On This Planet drops in spring 2026.
“Indie Hero” traces back to a night in Tokyo where youthful ambition collides with midlife crisis. The song sits somewhere between romantic and tragic, exploring fame, failure, and the drive to create something that outlasts one’s artistry.
This is a love letter to the ghosts of the ’90s and their obsession with the ghosts of the late ’70s. All the beautiful people who never quite went the distance. Including me. It’s about idol worship, but also about outgrowing it.
Jessie Hartman
Reminiscent of early MGMT and LCD Soundsystem, “Indie Hero” combines its whimsical lyrics with an upbeat tempo, echoing a sound similar to a classic Beach Boys song. Rather than being overly sophisticated with the lyrics, “Indie Hero” focuses on simple storytelling. With the combination of the easy-going chorus, the song creates a perfect melody to amplify a catchy track.
Written years prior, Jessie Hartman collaborated with Luke Wood, who had previously worked together in the band Sammy. Recording the track for the past year, “Indie Hero” mixes live drums with drum machines, horns with synths, and layered guitars under the two Hartmans’ deadpan vocals, resulting in both a retro and forward-looking song, similar to an early 2000s indie rock broadcast from the future.
For the first time in two decades, LAPTOP will return to live performance with a 14-piece band at New York’s Sony Hall, opening for UK legends Cast, and a headliner show at London’s Waiting Room.
“Indie Hero” is now available to stream on major platforms, with the full album On This Planet to be released in spring 2026.
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