Luke Branch, best known as the frontman and songwriter of Asylums, has released his debut solo single Guttermouth, marking the first glimpse of a body of work created entirely on his own terms.
Luke Branch
Released through Obtuse Records, a new subsidiary of Cool Thing Records established to house Branch’s solo music, spoken word, visual art and soundtrack projects, Guttermouth sees the musician take complete creative control. Branch performs every instrument and vocal part on the track, writes the music and lyrics, and has also created the artwork accompanying the release.
The single arrives after two years spent developing an extensive collection of solo material, with Branch working independently around his commitments as a musician, filmmaker, label operator and father.
Guttermouth was recorded during solitary sessions at SS2 Recording in Southend-on-Sea with longtime collaborator and recording engineer Rees Broomfield. The track was subsequently mixed by Dave Eringa, whose credits include work with Manic Street Preachers and Wilko Johnson.
The result represents a different musical direction from Asylums, while retaining the DIY spirit that has long defined Branch’s work. Where his previous band has operated as a collective, the solo project pushes that ethos to its logical extreme, with Branch responsible for every element of the creative process.
Even the single’s cover artwork is his own, beginning as an oil painting before being manipulated in Photoshop.
Lyrically, Guttermouth leaves its central question deliberately open. Its target could be political power, the media machinery surrounding it or the more personal voice of self-doubt that can become impossible to silence. Rather than providing a single answer, Branch uses the ambiguity to explore the different forms that negativity and noise can take.
The track received its global premiere on John Kennedy’s X-Posure programme on Radio X, where it was selected as the show’s Hot One.
Luke Branch
Branch says the solo project was born from a desire to step away from expectations and approach music as a learner again. After years of recording albums and touring with Asylums, he wanted the freedom to experiment, develop his skills and create without the pressures of a conventional band environment.
That independent approach is reflected in the circumstances surrounding the recording. Much of the material was created in stolen hours between running Cool Thing Music, scoring films and family life, giving the project an immediacy that feels central to its identity.
The solo work also follows Branch’s growing involvement in film composition. He co-scored the 2026 feature film 40 Dates and 40 Nights, as well as 2025’s Crossroads, both directed by Andrew Delaney. The solo recordings developed alongside that soundtrack work, allowing Branch to explore a contrasting creative space away from the demands of composing to picture.
For Asylums, Guttermouth marks a new chapter rather than a continuation of the band’s current activity. The group are presently on a recording and touring hiatus following four studio albums: Killer Brain Waves, Alien Human Emotions, Genetic Cabaret and Signs of Life.
Branch founded Asylums and established the band as a distinctive presence within the UK’s independent guitar scene, working with producer Steve Albini and collaborating with Dave Eringa across their catalogue.
Now, Guttermouth introduces a project where there are no bandmates to defer to, no committee to satisfy and no creative boundaries beyond those Branch chooses to impose on himself.
The single is the first release from a much larger body of solo work, with Obtuse Records providing a new home for the music and the wider collection of creative projects Branch has been developing away from Asylums.
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