Sleaford Mods have released two previously unheard tracks, ‘Git Some Balls’ and ‘Air Con’(a reworking of the track Air Conditioning) ahead of the 10th anniversary edition of their scene stimulating, acclaimed album Divide and Exit.
‘Git Some Balls’ was written and recorded by Andrew Fearn and Jason Williamson during the sessions for the album, but is only being made available now for the first time via streaming services, while it will also feature on a one-off flexi-disc which will come only with limited edition copies of the reissue.
“Git Some Balls was one of those studio floor clippings that we didn’t feel quite hit the mark at the time, but today sounds great,” admits Williamson of the track.
“We knew what we wanted for the album, and we didn’t feel this was quite right for Divide and Exit. What’s weird is that the rejects always sound wicked when you revisit them, as good as the stuff that got through to form the album which says a lot about the way we work and where our heads were at the time. There wasn’t anyone in the country doing what we were doing at that point, it feels like it was 30 years ago, but it’s only been 10. Mad as fuck.”
Touching on many of the themes and outrage that made Divide and Exit not only the album that truly expressed the political dissatisfaction of the 2010s, but one which inspired so many other acts replicate the artistic freedom that Sleaford Mods created for themselves, ‘Git Some Balls’ is a pulsating blast that merges swaggering rifts, hypnotic grooves, frantic vocals and – seemingly – Williamson’s uncanny impression of The Ghostbusters’ siren.
Now available across all streaming services, the track’s release not only follows the duo’s 2024 Glastonbury Festival set which can be currently watched via BBC iPlayer until the end of the month, but it also heralds the 10th anniversary reissue of Divide and Exit which is out on Friday 26 July.
Originally released in May 2014, not only did Fearn and Williamson’s second ‘proper’ album (or sixth if you go back through the early CD-R efforts), capture the ‘death by a million vested interests’ malaise that was engulfing British society as contaminative politics oozed its core, but its union of strong words and minimal electronics saw a fresh voice articulated a much-needed rage, anger, hurt and hope.
Fully remastered, and with initial vinyl copies featuring a special new sleeve designed by the duo’s friend and collaborator British artist Cold War Steve, this new edition offers a chance to fully appreciate a band hitting their artistic stride while acknowledging (and commiserating) that its rebuttal of many of the dark forces that triggered its creation remains sadly relevant today.
“Where our previous album Austerity Dogs barked a directionless yet solid form of anger, Divide and Exit then carried this basic form of class consciousness,” says Williamson of the vision behind the record, both musically and lyrically.
“After the release of Austerity Dogs we realised we had seemingly created a formula,” he adds. “Andrew just took the formula and ran with it and his music started to sound much more compact and urgent. Listening to it now, Divide and Exit is perhaps the most punk record we have done,”
Along with the ‘Git Some Balls’ flexi, limited edition versions will also feature new sleeve notes written by frontman Williamson, while The Wire’s 2014 interview with the band, conducted by incomparable Mark Fisher, will also be reprinted in full.
A CD version of the album featuring the Cold War Steve artwork will be available exclusively from Sleaford Mods and Rough Trade Records online shops, while the new cover will feature on a one-off t-shirt. Also available from the band’s web store, the t-shirt continues Sleaford Mods ongoing collaboration with War Child UK with all proceeds from its sale going to the charity.
For full information, and to pre-order or pre-save the album visit https://sleafordmods.ffm.to/divideandexit
Fresh from their recent Glastonbury set and a series of festival sets this summer including headlining Green Man this August, the band have also confirmed they will celebrate Divide and Exit with a tour inspired by the album this autumn.
Sleaford Mods are Jason Williamson (words) & Andrew Fearn (Music)
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