Today, Melbourne-based post-punk upstarts Sex Mask have shared a high adrenaline new single titled “Lockjaw”. The track is taken from their new self-titled EP, which is out 21st August via Unpopular and comes ahead of their extensive run of EU/UK shows and festivals, which start this month.
Premiered last night on BBC Radio 6 Music’s New Music Fix, the instant and direct new single evokes the sweat-filled euphoria of the band’s live show. Driving basslines hurry along subtly intricate drumming, volatile yet melodic guitar work, and hook-driven vocals, with vocalist Wry Gray singing “Don’t wanna talk I got lockjaw / you in the back like a cop car / don’t say a word ‘cos it’s not hard / I love you most when we’re apart”.
Speaking on the single Gray says, “A love song for people who shouldn’t be together. Like vacuoles form the heart, these feelings can only grow in the absence.”
The much-anticipated new material follows the band’s widely acclaimed “Body Broker” EP, which came out in late 2025 and earned plaudits for their exhilarating and immediate blend of early 80s industrial, no-wave and absurdist punk influences. The self-contained writing/production unit – comprised of Vicente Moncada on drums/production, Wry Gray on vocals and lyrics, and Kaya Martin on guitars and synths – have already amassed over 2.5M streams for some their early releases and featured in several one to watch lists including the NME 100 and Dork’s Hype list.
Sex Mask also earned further praise from the likes of DIY, Kerrang!, Notion, The Independent, The Line Of Best Fit, So Young, and more, and last year played both a packed-out headline show at The Lexington in London, as well as a sold-out SCALA alongside fast-rising hometown friends Radio Free Alice, who they toured with extensively in winter.
Sex Mask’s gripping live show has already seen them support the likes of Fcukers, Big Special, and Fat White Family, as well as appearing at Dot To Dot, The Great Escape, SXSW Austin / Australia and completing a packed-out EU/UK co-headline tour playing some of their biggest crowds to date. This summer the band will head out on their own headline tour across the continent, including a sold-out headline show at The George Tavern in London and appearances at End Of The Road Festival, Reeperbahn Festival, Manchester Psych Festival, and more.
Following up their busy European summer tour schedule, Sex Mask has also announced a special one-off show in Athens Greece in November at Pomanteo, hosted by the team behind Plissken Festival. The band will return to Europe that month having been added to Pitchfork Paris Festival and there are more shows to be announced.
Tour dates:
Thursday 27.08 – The Grand Social – Dublin IE
Saturday 29.08 – Zerox – Newcastle UK
Sunday 30.08 – Sneaky Pete’s – Edinburgh UK
Wednesday 02.09 – Oporto – Leeds UK
Thursday 03.09 – The George Tavern – London UK SOLD OUT
Friday 04.09 – Brighton Psych Festival – Brighton, UK
Saturday 05.09 – Manchester Psych Festival – Manchester UK
Sunday 06.09 – End Of The Road – Salisbury UK
Thursday 10.09 – The Hope & Ruin – Brighton UK
Friday 11.09 – 013 Hall Of Fame – Tilburg NL
Saturday 12.09 – Simplon – Groningen NL
Sunday 13.09 – Leffingeleuren Festival – Middelkerke, BE
Tuesday 15.09 – Helios37 – Köln DE
Wednesday 16.09 – Ilses Erika – Leipzig DE
Thursday 17.09 – Urban Spree – Berlin DE
Friday 18.09 – Reeperbahn Festival – Hamburg DE
Saturday 19.09 – Stengade – Copenhagen DK
Sunday 04.10 – Yours & Owls, Wollongong AUS
Sunday 08.11 – Pitchfork Paris, Paris FR
Friday 13.11 – Pomanteo (Plissken Festival Presents), Athens GR
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