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Apr 30, 2024 By Mark Redfern Photography by Kat Gollock

Scottish duo Arab Strap (Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton) are releasing a new album, I’m totally fine with it don’t give a fuck anymore, on May 10 via Rock Action. Now they have shared its fourth single, “You’re Not There,” via a lyric video. Listen below.

The song is about a man who continues writing to his deceased wife via text message. “It’s a very common part of the grief process now, and it can help the bereaved come to terms with their loss,” says Moffat in a press release. “I love the idea that our phones can function as a kind of modern Ouija board—the difference of course being that most people aren’t expecting an answer.”

The genesis of “You’re Not There” was a piano piece by Middleton called “Joshua’s Gone” that he wrote about his son’s melted snowman.

“So it seems it was always destined to be a song about loss and impermanence,” jokes Moffat.

Previously Arab Strap shared the album’s first single, “Bliss,” which was one of our Songs of the Week. Then they shared its second single, “Allatonceness.” Then they shared its third single, “Strawberry Moon,” via a horror-themed music video. It was one of our Songs of the Week.

I’m totally fine with it don’t give a fuck anymore is supposed to be written with two yellow thumbs up emojis, one between “it” and “don’t” and another at the end of the title, but for technical reasons we can’t include the emojis on our website.

The album follows their 2021 comeback album, As Days Get Dark, and their 2022 single, “Aphelion.”

As Days Get Dark was Arab Strap’s first album in almost 16 years (stream it here). Also, read our review of the album and our My Firsts interview with Middleton. The album made our Top 100 Albums of 2021 list.

The band’s album before As Days Get Dark was 2005’s The Last Romance. Arab Strap were interviewed in Under the Radar’s very first print issue in 2001, for The Red Thread, an album released the same year.

Arab Strap recently did a tour in honor of the 25th anniversary of their 1998 album Philophobia, but are looking forward to performing the more energetic songs from the new album. “The [Philophobia] tour’s been fun, but I’ll be glad it’s over so we can move on,” says Middleton.

Moffat adds: “The Philophobia gigs have been a way of saying goodbye to the old us. It was a very gentle, quiet tour, so I expect this year we’ll just be playing banger after banger—I think we’ve earned the right to make some noise now.”

Arab Strap Tour Dates:

May 20th - The Brickyard, Carlisle
May 21st - Fire Station, Sunderland
May 22nd - Castle & Falcon, Birmingham
May 23rd - Lantern, Bristol
May 24th - Koko, London
May 25th - Gorilla, Manchester
May 26th - Brudenell, Leeds
May 30th - Primavera Sound, Barcelona
May 31st - Reithalle, Kaserne, Basel, Switzerland
June 20th - Rocca Medievale, Castiglione del Lago, Italy
June 21st - Botanique Bologna, Bologna, Italy
June 22nd - Triennale Milano Teatro, Milan, Italy
Sept 11th - Empire, Belfast
Sept 12th - Dolans, Limerick
Sept 13th - Roisin Dubh, Galway
Sept 14th - Whelans’, Dublin
Sept 16th - The Byre Theatre, St Andrews
Sept 17th - Lemon Tree, Aberdeen
Sept 18th - La Belle Angèle, Edinburgh
Sept 19th - The Venue, Dumfries
Sept 20th - MAC Arts, Galashiels
Sept 21st - Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow

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