Just Mustard have returned with their first new music in three years. The Dundalk five-piece have released a new track and video titled ‘Pollyanna’, a dense, disorienting piece that signals a subtle shift in their sound. It arrives ahead of a run of underplay shows across London, Paris, Berlin and New York this September.
Built around warped guitars, submerged beats and a more upfront vocal mix than we’ve heard from the band before, ‘Pollyanna’ still carries the uneasy textures Just Mustard are known for, but leans harder into melody. The track explores the idea of “toxic happiness”, taking its name from the type of person who always insists everything’s fine. It’s not a compliment.
The accompanying video, directed by frontwoman Katie Ball, was shot using CCTV and VHS cameras around their hometown. “We tried to have as much fun as possible,” Ball said, “the kind of fun that makes you feel sick almost instantly, which suits the themes of the song.”
‘Pollyanna’ is the first material from the band since Heart Under, their 2022 album that earned praise from Loud & Quiet, NME, The Telegraph and Pitchfork. Since then they’ve toured globally and opened for the likes of The Cure, Depeche Mode and Fontaines D.C.
This year, they’ll play a handful of festivals including Green Man, Electric Picnic, and Boston’s Seisiún Festival, before heading to intimate venues in September for a rare close-quarters run of headline shows.
2025 Underplay Tour Dates
- 9 Sep – National Sawdust, New York, NY
- 22 Sep – Privatclub, Berlin, Germany
- 24 Sep – Point Éphémère, Paris, France
- 25 Sep – Hoxton Hall, London, UK
2025 Festival Appearances
- 16 Aug – Green Man Festival, Brecon Beacons, Wales
- 30 Aug – Electric Picnic, Stradbally, Ireland
- 6/7 Sep – Seisiún Festival, Boston, USA
- 19 Sep – Reeperbahn Festival, Hamburg, Germany
Editors’ Picks
- Dundalk Band
- Electric Picnic
- Green Man Festival
- Heart Under
- Hoxton Hall
- Just Mustard
- Katie Ball
- New Music 2025
- Partisan Records
- Pollyanna
