Manchester, UK-based art rock outfit Mewn — Daniel Bluer (guitar, vocals), Rachel Bell (guitar, backing vocals), Matthew Protz (keys), Daniel Cowman (drums), Tom Allen (bass) — exploded into the national scene with the release of last year’s full-length debut Landscapes Unchanged, that saw the rising British quintet quickly establishing a textured take on indie rock inspired by Timber Timbre, Arcade Fire, Big Thief, Nick Cave, and Radiohead while receiving praise from NME, DIY Magazine, So Young Magazine and The New Cue, as well as air playing from BBC 6 Music hosts Lauren Laverne, Steve Lamacq, and Stuart Maconie.
Adding to a growing profile, the Manchester-based quintet landed a slot opening for The National at Manchester’s Mayfield Depot, a former rail yard and mail distribution center, next month. They’ll also be making the rounds of the British festival circuit throughout the Summer.
The band’s highly-anticipated follow-up to Landscapes Unchanged, Such As This EP is slated for a September 23, 2022 release through Simonie Records. The forthcoming EP’s latest single, the swooning, jangle pop-meets-Brit pop-like “There Is No Substitute” begins with a slow-burning, meditative introduction that slowly builds up in intensity before ending with a cathartic, roaring coda.
“The first part of the song is a meditation on how our worlds and lives are shaped and influenced by others, the costs and benefits of that. The emotional intensity and urgency ramps up a lot in the second part,” Mewn’s Daniel Bluer explains in press notes. ” It has a feeling I relate to a lot, building up of heightened emotions and tension and racing towards this catharsis or release through whatever means possible. I hope the end of the song achieves this.”
