July 10, 2021

Written by Theo Hendrie

MUDWHALE's "SCAPEGOAT" IS THE PERFECT SINGLE TO SOUNDTRACK YOUR SUMMER

Formed in 2018, Mud Whale is an alt-rock band which emerged from the emo/punk scene in Cleveland with a fresh and fierce sound. Now their new single “Scapegoat”, the latest glimpse of their upcoming album, is out and ready to be the soundtrack to your summer. 

The band has a year’s worth of pent-up energy (courtesy of the COVID-19 pandemic) and you can feel that exploding from the song almost instantly as it erupts into driving guitars, pounding rhythms and ferocious vocals. It’s this crackling energy that makes “Scapegoat” the perfect demonstration of Mud Whale’s catchy pop punk sound which joins the likes of Kenny Hoopla and Hot Milk in their mission to update the emo sound for the next generation of angsty teens. 

The new song was co-produced, mixed, and mastered by local audio engineer Dave Piatek in collaboration with Bottleworks Studio. This follows the band’s first single “Nutrient Burn” which was released earlier this year.

Overall, “Scapegoat” makes one thing very clear - pop punk is not dead. Listening to the lyrics you’ll be transported back to the angsty emo days of your teenage years, singing along alone in your bedroom. Alongside this sense of nostalgia however, is an important message. Rather than allowing you to wallow in the feeling that no one understands you, “Scapegoat” tackles the blame and hostility between generations. The song was inspired by the ‘played-out clickbait news articles’ which blame millennials for the ‘supposed downfall of American life’ according to a statement from the band.

“That negative mindset between generations where we blindly blame or judge each other without looking into what’s actually happening can be pretty toxic to me. I feel like it holds us back from progress we could be making together,”
says vocalist and guitarist, Michael Morris.

Also out this month is an accompanying music video directed, shot and edited by local filmographer Todd Thompson. Animal masks lend the video a fairytale quality while the clothing and alt-rock sound gives us the feeling of a modern myth. It’s almost reminiscent of another recent pop punk music video - ‘Stupid’ by Noah Finnce - but it still remains fresh and original. 

If you can’t get enough of “Scapegoat” then keep an eye out for Mud Whale’s upcoming debut album “Everything in Moderation” which is set to come out August 3rd 2021.