Sleaford Mods Returning To New Zealand In May

Nottingham's incomparable Sleaford Mods are returning to Aotearoa this coming May for headline events in Auckland and Wellington, the duo's first NZ shows since packing out The Powerstation in early 2020 — a legendary gig which moved UTR reviewer Taylor MacGregor to exclaim "There is an authentic rage to Sleaford Mods". Pioneers of their own unflinchingly scathing and often bleakly funny brand of DIY electronic punk, Jason Williamson and Andrew Fearn will be here touring their forthcoming new studio album UK GRIM (their twelfth), with today's announcement neatly following last week's release of Sleaford Mods' single 'Force 10 From Navarone', featuring Florence Shaw of Dry Cleaning — the new record also includes a guest contribution from Perry Farrell of Jane's Addiction / Porno For Pyros fame.

Local music buffs will have heard Williamson lending his vocal skills to Aldous Harding's latest long player Warm Chris, and are advised to view director Christine Franz's excellent 2017 documentary Bunch of Kunst, following the affable pair on their rise to global infamy and chart-topping success. Launching on 10th March, you'd be a right plonker to miss Sleaford Mods celebrating their new album UK GRIM at the following dates, brought to you by Solid Entertainment, Banished Music, and Strange News...

Sleaford Mods - UK GRIM Tour

Friday 26th May - Powerstation, Auckland
Sunday 28th May - Hunter Lounge, Wellington

Tickets on sale from 10am, Thursday 16th February via Ticketmaster

Watch the new video for Sleaford Mods ft. Florence Shaw's 'Force 10 From Navarone'...

Hit play on the title track to Sleaford Mods' forthcoming album UK GRIM...

Press release:

Sleaford Mods are returning to New Zealand this May for their second visit following their sold-out debut NZ show in 2019 at Auckland’s Powerstation. Bringing with them a brand new album UK GRIM, that is set for release March 10,2023 via Rough Trade Records.

Truly the sound of now, not only in terms of the ideas and issues Jason Williamson's strong words invoke, but also thanks to the innovative and immersive production of Andrew Fearn, UK GRIM is an urgent and sage-like look at life, living and the gritty reality of our era and the Nottingham duo's most dancefloor friendly release to date.

UK GRIM features the recently released title track and their sinister new single 'Force 10 From Navarone', featuring guest vocals from Dry Cleaning frontwoman Florence Shaw plus a collaboration with Perry Farrell of Jane's Addiction on album track, 'So Trendy'.

UK GRIM is the band’s twelfth album, and another stunning step up as their stages, horizons and output grows. 2021’s Spare Ribs was their third UK Top 10 album since 2019 and their most successful yet. Sleaford Mods and UK GRIM is nothing less than a defining band and voice of their generation as with their musical forebears like The Jam, The Clash or Public Enemy.

Angry yet artful, innovative yet possessing an instinctual energy that irresistibly moves bodies and minds, UK GRIM is an erudite electronic vision that truly engages with times that have been anything but 'precedented'. SLEAFORD MODS hail from Nottingham in England and are Jason Williamson (lyrics and vocals) and Andrew Fearn (music).

Two New Zealand shows go on sale this Thursday, 16 February from Ticketmaster; Friday 26 May at Auckland's Powerstation and Sunday 28 May at Wellington's Hunter Lounge.

“Minimal and brutal.” Uncut
“A poetic blast of classic rage” The Times
“A currently unrivalled feast for the mind.” Mojo
“Nobody can touch Sleaford Mods right now.” Narc
“Foul-mouthed left-wing duo.” Daily Mail
“Jason Williamson’s populist fury is razor sharp.” Wire
“Something potent, original and unique.” The Telegraph
“Scalding excoriations of modern life.” The Independent
“Fierce yet killer funny, dense but never flabby, this is bile with mileage.” The Independent
“Biting humour and sharp observations of an uncomfortably recognisable contemporary Britain.” The Observer
“Anger is still the foremost energy, but there is a much richer seam of humour than they like to let on. Their set is relentlessly powerful.” The Guardian