The Mysterines Release New Single 'Begin Again'
The track was released alongside a new music video.
By: Michael Major May. 31, 2023
Alt-rock wunderkinds The Mysterines have returned with their new single “Begin Again,” an enthralling precursor to their monumental support slots with Arctic Monkeys on their stadium tour this summer in the UK.
Receiving its first play from Clara Amfo on BBC Radio 1 yesterday, “Begin Again” is the first single to be taken from The Mysterines’ forthcoming LP and sees the four piece build on their signature introspective lyricism, stripping instrumentation back for an incredibly powerful set up and delivery. It’s the sound of a band truly refining and maturing their craft.
Speaking further about the single, frontwoman Lia Metcalfe says, “Written during a full moon in a barn in the West Country, ‘Begin Again’ felt like finding a key to the spirit realm the evening it arrived. It felt like I was embarking on a surreal journey of self-dissolution; think of the first verse as a set of instructions and see how far reality stretches.”
Riding high on the success of their critically acclaimed, UK Top 10 debut album Reeling released March 2022, The Mysterines have been achieving remarkable success since the release, including two tours of the UK, two of North America and one in the EU, and now a tour with their personal heroes Arctic Monkeys across UK stadiums this summer. Tickets here.
Reeling saw stellar support across the board on release, from a TV appearance on Jools Holland (which Lia herself predicted as a teenager) to glowing reviews from leading indie tastemakers and international publications. The Line of Best Fit’s 8/10 review said The Mysterines “draw you in with their seething words...mountainous rock tones...and humored musing son life’s painful inevitabilities over thirteen glorious tracks”, with DIY commenting “their knack for melody is one of their greatest strengths, particularly when combined with frontwoman Lia Metcalfe's husky tones.”
NME declared Reeling an “electrifying debut album” in their 4-star review, comparing the powerful guitar ballad “On The Run” to “a ‘Celebrity Skin’ era Hole classic,” , meanwhile The Telegraph commented “The Mysterines' default setting is fast and furious garage punk-rock to which Metcalfe adds a goth grandeur with doomy lyrics and a quality of brazen glee at the rebellious posturing of songs with statement titles.”
THE MYSTERINES SHOWS SUPPORTING ARCTIC MONKEYS
May 29 - Ashton Gate Stadium, Bristol
May 31 - Coventry Building Society Arena, Coventry
June 2 - Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester
June 3 - Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester
June 5 - Middlesbrough FC, Middlesbrough
June 7 - Carrow Stadium, Norwich
June 9 - Hillsborough Park, Sheffield
June 10 - Hillsborough, Sheffield
June 12 - Swansea.com Stadium - Swansea
June 14 - The Ages Bowl, Southampton
June 16 - Emirates Stadium, London
June 17 - Emirates Stadium, London
June 18 - Emirates Stadium, London
June 20 - Malahide Castle, Dublin
June 25 - Bellahouston Park, Glasgow
ABOUT THE MYSTERINES
When it comes to pivotal life moments, having the mighty Nick Cave snatch a balloon out of your hands when you’re seven years old before smirkingly stomping on it is going to make you do one of two things. 1) Run off crying and forever commit to a quiet life or 2) Decide to be just like the big, tall man who gets a kick out of scaring little kids. When it happened to Lia Metcalfe, she wisely decided to do the latter.
Still only in her 20s, the Mysterines’ imposing frontwoman melds together more than her lifetime’s worth of experiences with the kind of deep, impassioned vocal you won’t forget in a hurry. In her songs and stagecraft, you’ll see and hear everything from PJ Harvey’s raw and ragged stomp to the crazed carnival energy of Tom Waits and eviscerating poetics of Patti Smith. The first great British rock band of the post-pandemic era, the Mysterines let us in on Lia’s unfiltered look at life, the universe and everything, complete with serious riffs and an unflinching honesty.
The rest of the Mysterines naturally coalesced around Lia. She met bass player, George Favager, standing outside a branch of Home Bargains when she was 14. Lead guitarist Callum Thompson and drummer Paul Crilly she met a few years later at a Psychedelic Porn Crumpets gig in Liverpool. She’d forgotten her ID and the bar refused to serve her, despite the fact that she’d just turned 18. Callum helped her out by offering Lia a warm can of beer from out of his backpack. The rest, of course, is history.
The Mysterines debut Reeling – released in March 2022 – was made under the watchful eye of acclaimed producer Catherine Marks (Wolf Alice, The Big Moon, PJ Harvey). Going back and forth from her West London studio, Assault and Battery, over three weeks in between lockdowns, it was recorded live to capture the intensity of the songs. Grief, self-destruction, and heartache run heavy through the record, but all are brought together by the blackest of humor.
The Mysterines have been achieving remarkable success since the release of Reeling, including a TV appearance on Jools Holland (which Lia herself predicted as a teenager), two tours of the UK with a headline show at Kentish Town Forum, two of North America and one in the EU. Summer 2023 will see them tour with their personal heroes Arctic Monkeys across UK stadiums.
photo by Charles Gall
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