Sleaford Mods have made an explosive return today, releasing brand new single ‘Megaton’ via Rough Trade Records. Over an arc of rolling beats and atmospheric electronics, the track is peppered with acerbic bars digging out cultural mediocrity.
A union of groove and guile, Jason Williamson and Andrew Fearn are ruffling feathers and moving feet with their first new release as Sleaford Mods since the 2023 album UK GRIM. Continuing the duo’s partnership with the charity War Child, all profits from ‘Megaton’ will be donated to support War Child’s life-changing work with children affected by conflict.
Alongside the digital release, a seven-inch single featuring the track Give ‘Em What They Want; as its B-side is now available for pre-order.
“Megaton, No War No Death!” declares frontman Jason Williamson, echoing the song’s central rallying cry. “We should be aligned with one another but instead we are crippled by social media and the resulting separatism: Genocide… swipe… gym bods… swipe… food pics… swipe… starvation. Killing upon killing, so much terrible, horrifying information followed by a cat meme followed by faces filtered beyond recognition.”
He adds: “Such is the weight of trauma, guilt and powerlessness in privileged societies that we squirm like an overloaded petri dish full of algae fed by the algorithm. Everything is wrong and everything as a reaction is argued to be right, and in this we give birth to behaviours that smother solidarity and cause mass waves of haemorrhaging alienation while the world quietly collapses offscreen.”
Inspired by the song’s depiction of the noise and confusion engulfing society, the artist and photographer Nick Waplington has directed a video for the track that was filmed at Speaker’s Corner in London’s Hyde Park. A traditional location for speeches, debate and discussion since the 1800s, Williamson and Fearn dropped ‘Megaton’ in amongst the regular speakers who swarm the park every Sunday morning.
“When the opportunity came to work with Jason and Andrew, I jumped at the chance. We have a connection through a shared history in Nottingham, and what began as a photoshoot quickly developed into an idea for a video,” Nick Waplington explains.
“At a moment in history when our rights to protest, to freely assemble, and to freedom of speech seem under attack, while paradoxically being used in new and novel ways through social media and the internet it felt like the perfect idea to collaborate with the lyrically dexterous Sleaford Mods at one of Britain’s oldest bastions of free expression, Speakers’ Corner. It’s great to see this idea come to fruition. The track is fantastic, and I really think this film does it justice.”
Watch the video for ‘Megaton’ – BELOW:
Megaton is available to stream now; meanwhile, its seven-inch edition will be available on red vinyl from the band and Rough Trade Records’ web store, on blue from indie record shops and on general sale on black wax.
With proceeds from the release going to War Child, the charity’s Live Music Lead Clare Sanders-Wright welcomed their on-going collaboration with the band.
“We’re incredibly grateful to Sleaford Mods for their continued generosity and support,” she explained. “This special limited edition single, Megaton, is an epic track. With it, the band isn’t just giving fans something new to sink their teeth into but are helping us raise vital funds for children living through the horrors of conflict. Every copy sold will directly support our work protecting, educating, and standing up for children affected by war, and we can’t thank them and their team enough for standing with us.”
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