Swallow The Rat – Terra Nullius: New Song Of The Day

Auckland Tāmaki Makaurau post-punk psych trio Swallow the Rat are very pleased to unveil their new single Terra Nullius.

Here’s the blurb with more:

Emerging post-pandemic as a reinvigorated three piece, Swallow the Rat (guitarist Brian Purington, drummer/vocalist Hayden Fritchley, bassist/vocalist Stephen Horsley) return with a dual vocal attack, where voices now soar, growl or reassure, while the stripped down format provides for more space and dynamics.

Lyrically, the floodgates have opened too. Looking over their shoulder, the band survey the legacy of colonialism, neoliberalism and the internet, as well as broken friendships, and things torn apart as if by a locust cloud.

New single ‘Terra Nullius’ is a song in two parts, exploring the repercussions of white privilege in two different scenarios. The song initially confronts the part played by settlers in dishonest land deals with Māori in Aotearoa, before moving to the 1921 Tulsa race massacre, where 39 people died, and 35 square blocks of the Greenwood neighbourhood were destroyed.

‘Terra Nullius’ is taken from Swallow the Rat’s forthcoming second album, South Locust, which is due out on September 1st via UK label Shifting Sounds.

Recorded with acclaimed engineer Nick Abbott (Foals, Die! Die! Die!), mixed remotely in Los Angeles by Sonny Diperri (Protomartyr, Diiv, Animal Collective), and mastered in Chicago by Carl Saff (Sonic Youth), South Locust will be out on September 1st via UK label Shifting Sounds.

South Locust follows from last year’s 7” teaser ‘Other Rooms’ (featuring Yuko Miyoshi of Memory Foam).

The album is available for pre-order in a very limited edition run of solid white 12″ vinyl. The moment the album is released you’ll also get unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus a high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

South Locust release date: September 1, 2023.

Pre-order your copy here.

Swallow the Rat South Locust album release tour
Australian and New Zealand dates

Swallow the Rat are taking South Locust to Melbourne, and around Te Ika-a-Māui/the North Island, in August and September.

Aotearoa New Zealand

Saturday 8 September    Wine Cellar    Auckland
Friday 15 September    Yot Club    Raglan
Saturday 16 September    Voodoo Lounge    Tauranga
Friday 22 September    Last Place    Hamilton
Saturday 23 September    Common Room    Hastings

Tickets from Under the Radar

Australia (Melbourne) 

Thursday 31 August    Old Bar    Melbourne
Friday 1 September    Cactus Room    Melbourne
Saturday 2 September (All Ages – Afternoon)    Oh! Jean Records    Melbourne
Saturday 2 September (R18 – Evening)         Gasometer    Melbourne

Visit Swallow the Rat on Facebook for more info