Photo by Anna Burnett
Scustin return with their latest single, the second teaser for the upcoming EP The Lock In. The Irish quartet brings their sense of identity to the track, whilst keeping that focused commentary of the modern world and gritty intentions they’ve become known for in the mix.
Relentlessly driven, with hazy guitars played against bouncy, upbeat bass and drum lines, it splits between something groovy and something fuzzy. Flashes of cinema in their surrealism. The vocals are delivered with a musical intonation, but nonetheless feel like a speech at a dispatch box.
In the band’s words*, “Irishness, it seems, has never been more popular, but with that comes the risk of it becoming commodified and turned into cultural capital. Identity is an interesting thing to play with, and for us, we wanted to bring it back to what actually feels true, both to Irish people and to us as a band. It’s not about splitting the ‘G’ or Aran sweaters, it’s about humour, honesty, defiance and sincerity.*
That’s what we wanted to explore in ‘Scustinism,’ and it’s what became our manifesto. ‘I wanna laugh till I die, I won’t let life pass me by’, that’s the heart of it. In a world where cultural and moral values are constantly being distorted, it felt important to land on something simple, sincere and unifying amidst the chaos.”
From regular live shows and festival stages, to a string of tastemaker support in radio, press and playlist, Scustin are a presence that will not be ignored. With the upcoming The Lock In, they pair it with their debut EP, Confessions Of A Pub Talker. A closing chapter to that project.
Listen below…
