IDLES drop new track 'Grounds'

IDLES are a band from Bristol preaching a message of love, unity, and self acceptance through violent, heavily distorted guitar music and witty, snarling lyricism. They tackle huge current issues like Brexit and toxic masculinity with passion and conviction and new single Grounds is no exception.  

Since the death of George Floyd the Black Lives Matter movement has come to the forefront of public consciousness and received overwhelming support across the world. So despite Grounds having been a staple of IDLES set since 2019, lyrics like; Saying my race and class ain’t suitable / So I raise my pink fist and say black is beautiful feel strikingly relevant, but then maybe a song that seems to cry revolution would have felt relevant anyway in an era where the leaders of both Britain and America seem set on fucking over their respective countries continuously. 

The second single to be released from the bands forthcoming third album Ultra Mono proves that IDLES are very much still the capable mouthpiece for a frustrated left-wing audience. The track draws on grime and hip-hop influences and is a step back from the manic urgency of some of the band’s previous releases. Singer Joe Talbot delivers powerful one liners in between bursts of vicious, heavy guitars. He speaks firmly and with intent like a public speaker at a protest. He’s not red-faced and shouting anymore because he doesn’t need to be, he’s already put the graft in to make his voice heard and now everybody’s listening. 

Ultra Mono will be released on the 16th of June.