Just fourteen months after releasing their debut, Dry Cleaning have announced details of a second album titled Stumpwork and today offer a first taste of the new work in the form of single “Don’t Press Me“. Stumpwork will be released on October 21st via 4AD.
Clocking in at under 2 minutes, “Don’t Press Me” is about the pleasure of gaming and the enjoyment of intense and short-lived guilt-free experiences. Vocalist Florence Shaw also says, “The words in the chorus came about because I was trying to write a song to sing to my own brain, “You are always fighting me / You are always stressing me out”.” Its official animated video was created by Peter Millard whose naïve depictions of the band are perfectly in sync with the song’s hooks and riffs.
Listen to “Don’t Press Me” and watch the video for it below:
Stumpwork, the follow-up to 2021’s New Long Leg. The South London-based group’s first studio album was recorded in just two weeks with producer John Parish at the iconic Rockfield Studios. Nick Buxton (drums), Tom Dowse (guitar), Lewis Maynard (bass) and Florence Shaw (vocals) returned to rural Wales in late 2021, partnering once more with Parish and engineer Joe Jones.
Stumpwork was inspired by a plethora of events, concepts, and political debacles, be they represented in the icy mess of ambient elements reflecting a certain existential despair, or the surprising warmth in celebrating the lives of loved ones lost through the previous year.
The album and single artwork were conceived and created by multi-disciplinary artists Rottingdean Bazaar and photographer Annie Collinge. James Theseus Buck and Luke Brooks of Rottingdean Bazaar first worked with Dry Cleaning directing the official video for “Scratchcard Lanyard” and as their creative partnership with the band continues to flourish, they have fashioned a brilliantly unique visual identity for Stumpwork.
Stumpwork artwork & tracklist:
1. Anna Calls From The Arctic
2. Kwenchy Kups
3. Gary Ashby
4. Driver’s Story
5. Hot Penny Day
6. Stumpwork
7. No Decent Shoes For Rain
8. Don’t Press Me
9. Conservative Hell
10. Liberty Log
11. Icebergs
DRY CLEANING TOUR DATES
16 June – EDINBURGH, GB, Hidden Door Festival
17 June – YORK, GB, Castle Howard w/ Duran Duran
18 June – HELSINKI, FI, Sideways Festival
21 June – ZAGREB, HR, INMusic Festival
24 June – PILSTON, GB, Glastonbury Festival
2 July – EWIJK, NL, Down The Rabbit Hole
3 July – WERCHTER, BE, Rock Werchter
9 July – MILWAUKEE, WI, USA, Summerfest
10 July – BLOOMINGTON, IN, USA, The Bishop Bar
11 July – NASHVILLE, TN, USA, Basement East
12 July – COLUMBUS, OH, USA, Ace of Cups
14 July – CLEVELAND, OH, USA, Grog Shop
15 July – DETROIT, MI, USA, El Club
16 July – CHICAGO, IL, USA, Pitchfork Music Festival
24 July – STANDON, UK, Standon Calling
29 July – CO. WATERFORD, IE, All Together Now
31 July – THIRSK, GB, Deer Shed Festival
6 August – KATOWICE, PO, OFF Festival
11 August – HALDERN, DE, Haldern Pop
19 August – CRICKHOWELL, GB, Green Man Festival
25 August – LONDON, GB, All Points East
27 August – MANCHESTER, GB, Mayfield Depot w/ The National
11 November – UTRECHT, NL, Le Guess Who? Festival