The new tracks follow the album’s first preview, the frenetic Run Down Small Town, which introduced the record’s combination of urgent songwriting, sharp social observation and high-energy musicianship. Having taken the new material on the road with an extensive UK and European headline tour, the Scottish band are now building towards the album’s arrival with two songs that explore markedly different sides of their sound.

Declan Welsh & The Decadent West

Declan Welsh & The Decadent West (Press)

Mistakes finds the band moving into hook-heavy, groove-driven synth-pop, with frontman Declan Welsh bringing his unmistakable Scottish accent to a more restrained, stylish vocal performance. Beneath its infectious melody, the song explores the emotional fallout of a long-distance relationship ending while the band are away on tour.

Discussing the track, Welsh explains: “I love Chic and Nile Rogers, and I love Parcels. So, I have that more synth-poppy side as well as the funk and soul. I went through a break-up when we were away, mid-tour, which I don’t recommend anyone ever does! But it’s nice to exorcise some of the feelings. As a songwriter, you become a warped, weird person. When you feel very strongly, even if that feeling isn’t positive, you’re like: right, well, there’s stuff here to be getting on with!”

At the other end of the spectrum, On Juan delivers a more chaotic, hedonistic rush. Driven by a full-throttle rock sound, the track draws on the desert-rock intensity of Queens Of The Stone Age and the explosive melodic punch of Biffy Clyro. Its lyrics capture the highs and inevitable lows of a night out, as euphoria gives way to excess and things begin to unravel.

Welsh says: “That song is about how it feels to be on the night out when you’re up – and how it feels to be on the night out when it starts going wrong. You can’t separate them.”

Both songs were recorded with producer Chris Marshall, whose previous work includes Gerry Cinnamon, Dylan John Thomas and Callum Beattie, at Mogwai’s Castle of Doom Recording Studios in Glasgow.

Together with Run Down Small Town, the new double-A side provides a further indication of the range and intent behind Explicit Agitation. The album promises to bring together personal, political, social and emotional themes, with the band’s direct lyrical approach matched by energetic arrangements and an ambition to challenge as much as entertain. Its title reflects that attitude, presenting a record that is prepared to make its position clear rather than shy away from difficult subjects.

The album is available to pre-order, with the band’s official store offering exclusive 100% recycled vinyl and signed CD editions. Album bundles also include a free signed and numbered bonus CD featuring four previously unreleased tracks that do not appear on the main album. New merchandise designs are available alongside the physical formats.

Declan Welsh & The Decadent West have established themselves as a formidable live act, having headlined Glasgow’s Barrowland Ballroom and appeared at major festivals including Glastonbury, TRNSMT and The Great Escape. They have also shared stages with The Reytons and Twin Atlantic. The current line-up features long-standing bassist Ben Corlett, alongside a wider rotating cast of friends and musicians.

With further live plans for 2027 expected to be announced, Explicit Agitation looks set to mark another significant chapter for a band whose music continues to balance infectious hooks with a willingness to provoke.

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