Mush Share New Single

The Leeds, UK-based art-rock group, Mush is today sharing their new single, “Northern Safari” which arrives as the second preview of their forthcoming third album, Down Tools which is out July 8 through Memphis Industries. The new record marks Mush’s third full-length in as many years following 2020’s debut LP, 3D Routine and 2021’s acclaimed Lines Redacted, which found support at BBC 6 Music (inc Album of the Day), Pitchfork, Quietus, Sunday Times, Brooklyn Vegan, Line of Best Fit, Dork and DIY and, as Uncut wrote, saw them become “kindred spirits to Wand and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, two other bands prolifically honing their sound and approach, steadily developing their voice.”

“Northern Safari” – which arrives packed with fidgety guitar riffs and signposts some of the band’s most accessible slacker-punk sounds to date – arrives as a song about the way the North of England has been portrayed in the media and is used as a mirror to reflect some of the nastier elements of what’s going on in society. Speaking about the single, Hyndman of the band says: “It’s about the time we all went to the tropical world together to see the meerkats. Down Tools out soon, thanks for all your support so far!”

Down Tools was recorded in Leeds at Greenmount Studios with long-term collaborators, Lee Smith and Jamie Lockhart (Yard Act, Easy Life, Cribs). While grief and work balance form themes on the record, Hyndman’s approach is largely made up of abstract, disconnected streams of consciousness and lines liberally taken from books, paintings, films and beyond. Hyndman says of the recording process: “going into Greenmount was like returning to a childhood home, it’s great re-connecting with Lee and Jamie. They let us do whatever we want within reason, we have fun and you kind of forget they are actually both amazing at what they do. So much of the guitar had to be improvised in the studio which was stressful but also intrinsic to creating the non-linear vibe of some of the stranger tracks”.

Mush formed in 2015, its first iteration being as a five-piece noise band with three guitars. Mush’s MO and sound have changed a lot since then as the band continues to grow and hone their sound. On 3D Routine the sound centered around the interweaving of dueling guitars of Steven Tyson and Hyndman. Since Tyson’s death, Hyndman has contributed all of the guitars for Lines Redacted and Down Tools. Recent recruit, Myles Kirk is now on second guitar duties ushering another new era for the band, joining Dan plus Nick Grant (bass/vox) and Phil Porter (drums).

You can pre-order Down Tools HERE