More than a year on from their Hurts to Laugh EP, Methyl Ethel have returned with a soaring new single, sharing the immersive “Neon Cheap” today.
Curious and welcoming in typical Methyl Ethel fashion, “Neon Cheap” feels like a fitting mix of Talking Heads combined with the likes of ELO and nu-rave. Kicking off with an almost-inexplicable sample of an Italian folk song, the track builds and builds before it reaches its euphoric chorus, which feels almost custom-made for the live stage.
As musical polymath, vocalist, producer, and Methyl Ethel all-rounder Jake Webb explains, the track was written in the period following the cancellation of touring due to COVID-19, and is reminiscent of the experience one gets while mindlessly scrolling their phones in the early morning, with all the associated elements brought to life via music.
“Picture yourself scrolling, mind-numbingly at 3am,” Webb begins. “Now, instead of scrolling, you’re traipsing some Vegas-like strip. All the events and people you’d normally read about are there as you walk around, inoculated, casually observing. For me, this is ‘Neon Cheap.'”
Alongside the release of the new single, Methyl Ethel have also shared a Tay Kaka-directed video to accompany it, and contextualise the meaning and vibe of “Neon Cheap”. Though further details regarding the future activities of Methyl Ethel are yet to be announced, it appears as though “Neon Cheap” is set to serve as the first taste of the outfit’s next body of work.
Additionally, Methyl Ethel have also announced a pair of headline shows for Melbourne and Sydney to take place this July, while a pair of co-headlining shows with Pond in Perth are set to take place at the start of April and beginning of May, with full details available below.
Methyl Ethel’s “Neon Cheap” is out now via Future Classic.
Methyl Ethel 2021 Tour Dates
Methyl Ethel x Pond Co-Headline Shows
Friday, April 30th (Sold Out)
Magnet House, Perth, WA
Saturday, May 1st
Magnet House, Perth, WA
Tickets: Oztix
Methyl Ethel in The Round Headline Tour
Thursday, July 22nd
The Night Cat, Melbourne, VIC
Friday, July 23rd
Roundhouse, Sydney, NSW
Tickets on sale from 9am, Friday, April 16th via the Methyl Ethel website
