Hot Mulligan are back and louder than ever. The beloved post-emo chaos agents have just dropped “And a Big Load,” the explosive first single from their newly announced album The Sound a Body Makes When It’s Still, arriving 22nd August 2025 via Wax Bodega.
The track is a headfirst dive into everything fans love about Hot Mulligan—sharp-tongued lyricism, a tornado of riffs, and emotional whiplash that feels both brutal and oddly comforting. With lines like “Nothing good can come of me, I’m useless,” the band wastes no time getting straight to the core of their trademark existential dread, while guitarist/vocalist Chris Freeman explains the song is about “the consequences of your own actions.” That uncomfortable, self-aware heaviness is wrapped up in a punk-fuelled package perfect for screaming along in your car or your next emotional spiral.
Directed by Michael Herrick, the music video keeps pace with the track’s chaos, capturing the band thrashing through the single at a skate park with all the frantic energy fans have come to expect. It’s messy, raw, and undeniably Hot Mulligan.
The Sound a Body Makes When It’s Still promises to be the band’s most cohesive work to date. While the tracklist is packed with signature bizarre song titles—from “It Smells Like Fudge Axe in Here” to “Slumdog Scungillionaire”—the themes cut deep. Paranoia, self-destruction, reluctant existence—nothing is off the table. Co-vocalist Tade Sanville puts it bluntly: “Even if you plan on killing yourself, right now you exist. And that is a terrifying thing.”
Despite the heavy subject matter, the album leans into moments of dark humor and absurdity that keep Hot Mulligan’s identity intact. It’s not just another emo record—it’s a scream into the void with a wink.
With a jam-packed tour schedule, including stops at Bonnaroo, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and a massive run supporting Pierce the Veil across the UK and Europe, this summer is shaping up to be a huge one for the Michigan five-piece. If “And a Big Load” is any indication, The Sound a Body Makes When It’s Still is set to be one of 2025’s most emotionally gutting—and wildly cathartic—releases.
Hot Mulligan are still the #1 Hot New Band. Don’t believe them? Just ask.
