THE MYSTERINES confront their fears and explore new sonic territories in ‘Afraid Of Tomorrows’, proving they’re not afraid to keep surprising themselves and their fans. Check out our latest Dork Mixtape cover feature.
Words: Finlay Holden.
Photos: Steve Gullick.
As far as Merseyside rock groups go in the 2020s, The Mysterines are at the top of the game. Having stormed into the Official Albums Chart Top 10 with 2022’s ferocious debut LP ‘Reeling’ and toured all over the world – including a huge stadium run with the one and only Arctic Monkeys – the four-piece are carrying a huge amount of momentum into their new project, ‘Afraid Of Tomorrows’. So, what is there to be scared of?
Vocalist Lia Metcalfe takes a moment to reflect before resigning, “Where do we even begin?” Across 12 diverse tracks, this paranoia-drenched second record diverts away from solely releasing pent-up energy as per their earlier efforts and instead is a more measured approach focused on a desired form of output. “We had a better idea of how we wanted it to sound going in that we had before,” Lia says, “because there was more of a conscious effort to make this album sound more true to us.”
Considering the undeniable appeal of their breakthrough effort, it would’ve been all too easy to hone in on that raw and relentless tone, but guitarist Callum Thompson asserts that all good bands should aim to curate a varied discography. “You look at people who try one-upping themselves in the same and it’s usually better when they weren’t overthinking it. We’re different people from who we were a few years ago. We’ve been introduced to new films, art, music; that moulds who you become. It’s a journey we all go through together.”
Pulling The Mysterines into these periods of growth are constant challenges behind the scenes. While the recording process was more straightforward than the months of in-and-out, disjointed sessions they endured in the past, the subconscious pressures of travelling abroad did manifest. Lia reflects on the time positively. “Some difficulties are inevitable when you care about something so much, but at the end of the day, we got a great album out of it that we’re all super proud of. We were in LA for five weeks, you know – what can go wrong there?”
Through moments of recklessness and others of self-doubt, the Scouse quartet had veteran studio talent John Congleton in their corner. Having collaborated with countless artists and even possessing a Grammy for his work with St Vincent, John could quickly dissect the room’s dynamic and help guide the group towards their own treasures.
“John has an amazing knack of knowing when to make things funny and light-hearted and when to turn it on and make things feel important so you get them right,” Callum recounts. “He was the perfect person to make us feel the pressure when we needed to, but also understand that we’re having a laugh. We really needed that precise skillset this time around.”
“We’re different people from who we were a few years ago. We’ve been introduced to new films, art, music; that moulds who you become”
Callum Thompson
That precision genuinely reflects over the twelve songs making up ‘Afraid Of Tomorrows’. From the surprising structure of ‘Tired Animal’ to the vulnerable dynamics of ‘Hawkmoon’, and even the joyous elements flaunted on the titular closer, the record pulls the listener through a crucible of experiences while painting a vivid picture of The Mysterines’ new world. Lyrically, it fuses reality with a dramatic fictional flair to deliver an authentic time capsule that also retains some mystique.
“People don’t listen to music to hear the truth anyway,” Lia admits. “They just want to hear something that provokes them. The best art is provocative, but not always entirely truthful. You write something because you feel you need to. This record is largely a lot more personal. However, it’s obviously not entirely based in reality; that would almost ruin the trick.”
The trick in question is realising a sonic scene for your audience that fills a broad canvas with rich colour without laying out every single detail. As with all good art, Lia wants her songs to stand independently but draw in people capable of applying their own truths. “People listen to music without boundaries and relate to things in any way they want,” the frontwoman remarks. “You don’t want to ruin people’s experience of things because you have your own selfish view. Keep that to yourself and let people discover their own meaning.”
One great example of this dichotomy is third and final single, ‘The Last Dance’. Recognisable from their recent live shows, the track details a highly specific experience while allowing the context to be imagined, all through quite a unique lens. “It is a story about someone falling in love with a porcelain mannequin, yes,” Lia laughs, acknowledging the perceived absurdity of the metaphor. “Loneliness can bring you to reach out for comfort from things that are inanimate, things that you should never to receive anything back from. The repetition of the chorus is based upon the wish that this inanimate object would help you, but really, it serves as a call for help.”
“Loneliness can bring you to reach out for comfort from things that are inanimate”
Lia Metcalfe
‘The Last Dance’ is one of a few previously unreleased tunes they debuted onstage and was even chosen to open the support set for the Arctic Monkeys shows. “We thought it’d be pretty cool to start with a song no one knew; not that many people at those shows would know who we were anyway,” drummer Paul Crilly jests. For anyone familiar, it provides a nice break from the first album cuts, which have been toured for over two years now: “We’re all glad to be moving on,” Callum affirms.
“We used to want to fuck them off, but there is now a tinge of humour to playing them,” Lia is quick to add, promising that the older songs are still always fun to perform. “They come from a time when we were quite naïve. When we do the old songs we might laugh a little bit because they’re not as serious as we thought they were. The new songs have a bit more emotional investment.”
Part of that investment comes from this slate of tracks being far more relevant to the musicians we see before us today. As with most debut records, ‘Reeling’ collected material written over the formative years of the band members – Lia recalls that some cuts, like ‘Under Your Skin’, began life when she was just a young teen – whereas ‘Afraid Of Tomorrows’ lays down the intent of The Mysterines in 2024.
“It’s more relevant to what we want to create,” Callum agrees, but points out that, “I don’t think that at any song being released is a true reflection of who the artist is at that exact given time, but it is a reflection of what you want to create and the direction you want to steer yourself sonically as a band.”
So, what do The Mysterines want to create moving forward, and how much of this new chapter appeals to them now? “The mindset of wanting to do something different is one that we’d always want to continue with,” Paul answers. “You just have to keep trying new shit, seeing what works and what doesn’t.”
“You can’t predict that,” Lia highlights. “When you’re writing, you surprise even yourself sometimes. There are songs on this record that I never thought we’d accomplish if you base it off the last one; ‘Afraid Of Tomorrows’ is basically a country song; who would’ve known? You’ll never truly know what comes next, and that’s the best bit.” ■
The Mysterines album ‘Afraid Of Tomorrows’ is out now. Follow Dork Mixtape on Spotify here.
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