Sleaford Mods Share New Album 'The Demise Of Planet X'

The unlikely rise and sustained reign of Sleaford Mods is a marvel of our musical age. Originators of their own ranting, stripped-back and raw (yet remarkably versatile) form of post-punk, Jason Williamson and Andrew Fearn found themselves at number 3 on the UK charts — they hit the 28 spot in Aotearoa — with their 2023 album UK Grim. Capturing widespread attention with this week's single 'Elitest G.O.A.T', featuring Lyttelton songwriting star Aldous Harding, the Nottingham duo now cut the ribbon on their new album The Demise Of Planet X.

"I don't like puddings" rasps Williamson in 'Double Diamond', maybe because they're too sweet? Like a sweary everyman, he takes a pitiless view of our western world's sorry state as we pass the quarter century mark. Guests include the aforementioned Harding, Gwendoline Christie (Game Of Thrones), Sue Tompkins (Life Without Buildings), Liam Bailey, MC Snowy and Big Special. Fearn keeps the backing loops rough and tumble with a zen-like touch, wisely resisting any lingering temptation to pretty up his gloriously lo-tech soundscapes.

Thirteen studio records in, Sleaford Mods don't forget what makes them good and dismally hilarious, sounding maybe even funkier this time around on highlights like 'Megaton' and 'Flood The Zone'. Drink deep from the well of The Demise Of Planet X ("planet shit!") — Williamson making like a dystopian MC Hammer on the title track — nab the vinyl / compact disc edition from good record stores, and take in the videos for 'Elitest G.O.A.T.' and 'The Good Life' below...

"The Demise Of Planet X’ represents a life lived under immense uncertainty, shaped by mass trauma. When we wrote the last album, it was about stagnation, a country that felt like a lifeless corpse. Three years later, that corpse has been split open by war, genocide, and the lingering psychological fallout of Covid whilst social media has mutated into a grotesque, twisted form of digital engineering. It feels like we’re living among the ruins. A multi-layered abomination etched into our collective psyche." - Jason Williamson

Sleaford Mods

Thursday 23rd April - Meow Nui, Wellington
Saturday 25th April - Powerstation, Auckland

Tickets on sale now via handsometours.com

'The Demise Of Planet X' is out today via Rough Trade Records.