Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland-based indie outfit Just Mustard — Katie Ball (vocals), David Noonan (guitar, vocals), Mete Kalyon (guitar), Rob Clarke (bass) and Shane Maguire (drums) — formed back in 2016. Their self-produced and self-recorded full-length debut, 2018’s Wednesday was released to critical acclaim: The album was nominated for that year’s Choice Music Prize.
The Irish quintet signed to Partisan Records, who released their sophomore album, Heart Under earlier this year. Heart Under may arguably be one of the most acclaimed and commercially successful albums of the year so far: The album landed at #1 on the Independent Album Chart in their native Ireland — and currently at #7 on the Meteoritic Best Albums of 2022 Chart with an overall score of 89.
Heart Under is an album that challenges the listener, and asks them to forget what they know at every turn — with the the Irish outfit reconfiguring and stretching the ideas and ambitions of a rock band, while turning a year of lockdown and personal struggles into a breathtaking, personal artistic statement.
The band caps off a momentous year with the release of a special deluxe edition of Heart Under that will consist of of a double LP in a gatefold jacket and obi strip, a booklet with exclusive in-studio photos, handwritten lyrics from the band’s Katie Bell and a print of English artist Graham Dean’s In The Water Waiting, the painting that comprises the album’s cover art. The deluxe edition of Heart Under is slated for a Friday release through Partisan Records. Along with that, the acclaimed Irish outfit will be embarking on their first North American headlining tour. The tour includes a November 5, 2022 stop at Baby’s All Right. Tour dates as always are below.
“Blue Chalk,” Heart Under‘s latest single is a brooding and atmospheric song centered around swirling and textured, A Storm in Heaven-like synth oscillations, thumping and propulsive heartbeat-like beats paired with Katie Ball’s ethereal and soaring vocal. The song evokes the oppressively heavy weight of grief.
Directed by the band’s Katie Ball and the help of the band’s friend Seán McMahon, the accompanying under water — and with colored flashing lights. “The song ‘Blue Chalk’ defines the heaviness that the whole of Heart Under exists beneath. The kind that comes with grief and you feel like you are trying to navigate life with the weight of the sea on your chest keeping you down. I wanted to make this video since we started writing ‘Heart Under’ and to me, it visually represents a lot of the emotion in the album. It was filmed in 4hrs in freezing cold water with the help of our friend Seán McMahon.” Just Mustard’s Katie Ball explains.
Just Mustard North American 2022 tour dates:
Nov 4 – Washington, DC – Songbyrd Music House
Nov 5 – Brooklyn, NY – Baby’s All Right
Nov 7 – Montreal, QC – Bar Le Ritz PDB
Nov 8 – Toronto, ON – The Garrison
Nov 10 – Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle
Nov 11 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry
Nov 15 – Seattle, WA – Barboza
Nov 16 – Vancouver, BC – Wise Hall
Nov 17 – Portland, OR – Polaris Hall
Nov 19 – San Francisco, CA – Rickshaw Stop
Nov 22 – Los Angeles, CA – The Echo
