Squid’s acclaimed debut album Bright Green Field, released earlier this year via Warp Records, has cemented the band as one of the most exciting new acts to arrive from the UK. The album garnered perfect scores from several publications and high praise from the New Yorker, Pitchfork, Stereogum, NPR Music, and beyond. Next week, Squid finally make their way stateside for their long-awaited, first-ever US tour, which has been completely sold out for months. In honor of the tour kicking off, Squid share an unexpected cover of Bill Callahan’s “America!”
At first staying close to the original with subtle guitar and percussion, the track later expands with lurching drums, noisey feedback, and Ollie Judge’s distinctive voice. The band elaborates: “Earlier in the year we went to Otterhead Studios in the midlands to do some recording as we emerged from lockdown 2.0. We decided to cover some of our favourite tunes and one of them was ‘America!’ by Bill Callahan. We didn’t think that this cover would see the light of day, but we wanted to release something special just in time for us heading over to tour the USA.” Having long been praised for their kinetic performances, Squid — Louis Borlase (guitars, vocals), Ollie Judge (drums, lead vocals), Arthur Leadbetter (keyboards, strings, percussion), Laurie Nankivell (bass, brass) and Anton Pearson (guitars, vocals) — are not to be missed live.
Praise for Bright Green Field
“Bright Green Field cannot be pinned down. Many of the songs split apart to reveal uninhabited and uncanny worlds within themselves." - New Yorker
“[Squid’s] nervy debut blazes through scraps of jazz, funk, krautrock, dub, and punk. More than a canonized style, it’s their level of control that sets them apart.” - Pitchfork
"Squid have made an album that is addicting and entrancing enough that it pulls you back over and over, making you want to revisit their world, a place that is full of both adventure and apocalypse." - Stereogum
"Squid’s relentless boundary pushing brings a sense of exploration and collaboration, a wild joy as if the band are mad scientists bringing a bizarre new creation to life.” - Under The Radar
"Bright Green Field is a rollercoaster of a record, carefully engineered for maximum dynamism, a punchy symphony of tension and release" - Paste
“A debut for the ages” - The Line of Best Fit (10/10)
“An uncompromising debut that fulfills every ounce of [Squid’s] potential.” - NME (5/5)