Last year saw Soft Play make a life-affirming comeback with the highly acclaimed album ‘Heavy Jelly.’ Their highest charting record to date, landing at #3 in the UK charts, it was an album in which raging punk, nu-metal attacks and slamming hardcore somehow possessed the warmth of an embrace from an old friend – and in the process was critically lauded as clearly the best record of their career so far. Now Soft Play are set to release an expanded vision of the album with ‘Heavier Jelly’ on April 18th.
‘Heavier Jelly’ adds six new tracks to the set, some of which were recorded during the original album sessions and others the product of more recent studio visits. But this isn’t a mere outtakes collection. Each song was in serious contention for the original record and was omitted only because of moods or genres that would’ve felt out of place: see the Irish folk-influenced celebration-of-friends that is ‘Heavy Jelly,’ the leftfield hip-hop of ‘Take Me To The Tip,’ and the sax, spoken word and twisted big beat experiment of ‘Chairman of the Council’.
Meanwhile, ‘Flip ‘em The Bird’ and ‘Green Lamborghini’ more than match the ‘Heavy Jelly’ attack, but some things had to be sacrificed to allow it to be the monstrous 30-minute short-sharp-shock that it is. The result is that ‘Heavier Jelly’ is a broader, stranger and expansive alternative to the punchy thrills of the original.
‘Heavier Jelly’is completed by the new single ‘Slushy’ which features Kate Nash and is scheduled to receive its first radio play exclusively today from Craig Charles on BBC 6Music. The track’s rampaging proto-punk / garage rock raw power is the perfect framework for a duet which sees Kate Nash relishing trading sweetly savage call-and-response barbs with Isaac Holman. The pair previously collaborated together when Kate featured on ‘Telephobia’ from Isaac’s Baby Dave project.
Soft Play’s Laurie Vincent says: “These songs are the bastard children of Heavy Jelly, strange experimentations/ delusions that didn’t fit the mould. I’m excited for our fans to get a glimpse into some more music that came from the world of ‘Heavy Jelly’. Strap in.”
Soft Play topped off their standout 2024 with a Sold-Out UK tour, including a raucous Halloween headline date at Brixton Academy and have started 2025 in similar fashion with a successful run of shows in Australia and more recently headlining an intimate Village Underground show for War Child UK / BRITS Week.
The duos momentum shows no signs of slowing down as their big year of touring is set to continue with festivals in Europe – dates below.
‘Heavier Jelly’ tracklist:
01. All Things
02. Punk’s Dead
03. Act Violently
04. Isaac Is Typing…
05. Bin Juice Disaster
06. Worms on Tarmac
07. John Wick
08. Mirror Muscles
09. Working Title
10. The Mushroom and The Swan
11. Everything and Nothing
Upcoming Tour dates:
23rd May – Sniester Festival – The Hague, Netherlands
24th May – Pretty Pissed Festival – Amsterdam, Netherlands
6th June – Rock Am Ring – Nürnberg, Germany
8th June – Rock Im Park – Zepplinfield, Germany
13th June – Firenze Rocks – Firenze, Italy
17th June – Ferrara Festival – (With Slipknot) – Ferrara, Italy
19th June – Hellfest – Clisson, France
21st June – Landgraaf, Pinkpop Festival – Netherlands
23rd June – Waldbühne (With Slipknot) – Berlin, Germany
27th-29th June – Airport Tábor, Mighty Sounds Festival – Czech Republic
17th-19th – Benicàssim – Spain
3rd August – Off Festival – Mysłowice, Poland
8th-10th August – Summer Well Festival – Buftea, Romania
