• News

• All

Jan 17, 2023 By Mark Redfern Photography by Ewen Spencer

British punk duo Sleaford Mods (Jason Williamson and Andrew Fearn) have announced a new album, UK GRIM, and shared its first single, title track “UK GRIM,” via a music video. They have also announced some U.S. tour dates. UK GRIM is due out March 10 via Rough Trade. Cold War Steve directed the “UK GRIM” video, which satirizes the current state of politics, both in England and the rest of the world. Watch it below, followed by the album’s tracklist and cover art, as well as the tour dates.

UK GRIM is the follow-up to 2021’s Spare Ribs. The duo began working on the album in 2021 during COVID lockdowns. Progress continued at the band’s regular work space (JT Soars) and concluded at Fearn’s home. A press release says “COVID ennui, life online, and experience of how the music industry works all folded into the album” and that “this could still be the angriest Sleaford Mods record yet.”

The album features Dry Cleaning’s Florence Shaw on “Force 10 From Navarone” (which shares its name with a 1978 World War II movie). “She really does remind me of the early stuff that I used to do, just the way she uses one word to convey a whole story,” gushes Williamson about Shaw.

Perry Farrell and Dave Navarro of Jane’s Addiction also guest on the album’s “So Trendy,” a song Williamson says he’s “very wary of… a really weird track.”

Summing up the album and Sleaford Mods’ approach to art, Fearn says: “If there’s stuff there, we’ll keep going. It’s like what Andy Warhol said—just make it, don’t overthink it. Then you’ll make those connections happen.”

Listen to our interview with Sleaford Mods in a 2021 episode of our podcast.

UK GRIM Tracklist:

01) UK GRIM
02) D.I.Why
03) Force 10 From Navarone (feat. Florence Shaw)
04) Tilldipper
05) On The Ground
06) Right Wing Beast
07) Smash Each Other Up
08) Don
09) So Trendy (feat. Perry Farrell & Dave Navarro)
10) I Claudius
11) Pit 2 Pit
12) Apart From You
12) Tory Kong
14) Rhythms Of Class

Sleaford Mods 2023 North American Tour Dates:

Wednesday, April 5 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Friday, April 7 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall
Saturday, April 8 - Boston, MA @ Paradise
Tuesday, April 11 - Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
Friday, April 14 - San Francisco, CA @ August Hall
Sunday, April 16 - Coachella Valley, CA @ Coachella
Tuesday, April 18 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile Showroom
Wednesday, April 19 - Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall
Thursday, April 20 - Vancouver, BC @ The Commodore
Sunday, April 23 - Coachella Valley, CA @ Coachella

Support Under the Radar on Patreon.