Dreams Beyond Control

Family Garden is a DIY Punk-Metal three-piece, crafting a sound that is as eclectic as it is powerful. Hailing from the underground Philly scene, the trio has a long-standing musical partnership, but Family Garden marks their most personal and enduring venture yet.

The band’s origins trace back to earlier projects, whose collapse led into a time of uncertainty during the pandemic, after which they determined to start fresh and create something new. Emerging from such a precarious era, the trio of Chubbrock on vocals and guitars, Ryan Flannery on bass and vocals, and Evan Madden on drums, strengthened their bonds through a slow and steady journey of songwriting and recording, leading up to the band’s debut in 2022, Born From The Heavens, a raw EP of Family Garden’s emergence into the world.

Dreams Beyond Control, the band’s new full-length album in 2025, is a collection of abstract, surreal short stories wrapped in powerful metal and punk textures. Tracks like “Jesus Was a Spider”, a conceptual exploration of an arachnid god, and “Stomping Grounds”, a fever-dream narrative about returning to a hometown with dark secrets, demonstrate Family Garden’s ability to craft vivid horror vignettes through their music. Themes of growth, loss, and strange realities echo throughout their music, tying into the band’s identity. These realistic portrayals of the paranormal are driven by thick and dirty guitars, massive, pounding drums, and captivating vocals, with an experimental touch complemented by the eerie synth contributions of James Daniel Horn.

The name Family Garden originated from the band’s guitar player, when his mother sent him a childhood drawing he had made of a garden with his siblings, parents, and pets, titled “A Family’s Garden”. This resonated with the band and became a nod to family, roots, and personal history. Chubbrock’s artwork plays a significant part in Family Garden’s vision, exploring artistic freedom with no rules or obligations, only paint to canvas, and eventually, to album covers.

Throughout their history of collaboration, the trio’s creative process remains unified, with each member having an equal say in every aspect of creation. Chubbrock and Ryan F. craft a uniquely dark guitar and bass sound, often layering multiple tones and
effects to create a massive sonic presence. Evan’s drums anchor the chaos with strength and precision, while Chubbrock and Ryan F.’s vocals carry gripping narratives inspired by sci-fi, horror, real-life tragedy, and the supernatural.

With each new creation, Family Garden offers a sound that breaks free from tradition and stays true to their DIY roots. Their latest album was an arduous but rewarding journey, recorded at Permanent Hearing Damage in South Philly with Steve Roche, and releasing on Strange Mono Records, whose charitable efforts were a part of the band’s decision to work with the label. Family Garden has chosen PAWS – Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society – as their charity to benefit from the proceeds of Dreams Beyond Control.

Looking ahead, Family Garden is already pondering future releases, with discussions around another full-length album or potential EP. They’ve recently shared the stage with Vile Form, Cesarian, and Thin in Philadelphia, and continue to expand their presence in the punk and metal scenes, and beyond.