UK GRIM

This biting dance-punk title track is the first taster of Sleaford Mod's 12th studio album, UK Grim. A state-of-the-nation song, the last one Sleaford Mod's singer Jason Williamson and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Fearn wrote for the record, it paints a bleak picture of post-COVID Britain. Williamson's lyrics are full of anger and frustration as he describes a country struggling with austerity, inequality, and social unrest.

In the chorus, Williamson calls out the absurdity of a culture that prizes drab and neat over joyful empathy. This is UK Grim Keep that desk area tidy Put it in the bin This is a metaphor for the government's attitude towards the poor and working class who are often seen as disposable and unworthy of support.

A politically charged animated video from political collagist Cold War Steve accompanies the song. "The last thing we wanted to do was another laddy video of just me and Andrew just bopping our heads," Williamson told NME. "We just thought, 'What about Cold War Steve?' I got in touch with him because I know him a little bit. We did a thing a few years ago with a mini exhibition of my words written on cardboard boxes, ripped up and then put underneath some of his work. We asked him to do the video and he was over the moon – we couldn't believe it."