Mal Not Bad shares new single and accompanying video
"Life"
Director of photography Seannie Bryan (Weyes Blood, Blondshell)

Debut album 'This Is Your New Life' - out 9th August via Same Same

- UK/EU & US tours with Skullcrusher and illuminati hotties
- Collaborator and touring musician with Mk.gee, NoSo, Jay Som
- Tipped by The Guardian, CLASH, NPR, COLORS & more

WATCH: "Life" video:
https://youtu.be/wybrjqSl8Yk

STREAM: "Life":
Spotify | Smartlink

"addictively replayable, fantastic”
The Guardian

"a subtle but striking offering, the melodic twists and turns set against a potent lyric"
CLASH Magazine

"echoing art pop guitars bounce off shuffling drums and pulsing electronic beats, crafting a careful balance of spacious sonics, shifting dynamics, and off-kilter melodies”
Under The Radar

“…atmospheric and explorative, full of beautiful cadence and consuming tones”
Wonderland Magazine

(19th July) Mal Not Bad today shares new single "Life" - the final taster of their debut album 'This Is Your New Life', out 9th August via Same Same. The new album will feature previously released singles including "AP" ("addictively replayable, fantastic” - The Guardian), "No Worries" ("a subtle but striking offering" - CLASH Magazine), and "Mustang" ("glitchy, electronic" - Brooklyn Vegan).

Mal Not Bad is the project of LA musician, producer and visual artist Mal Hauser, who previously has collaborated and toured with acts including Mk.gee, Skullcrusher, NoSo, illuminati hotties, Jay Som amongst others.

From its stabs of warbling guitars and distorted synths to its juddering percussion, new single "Life" provides another tantalising glimpse into their forthcoming full length, accompanied by a "climbing-inspired" video made in conjunction with director of photography Seannie Bryan (Weyes Blood, Blondshell).

Speaking on the release of new single "Life" and its accompanying visuals, Mal said:

"Loss makes room for growth in a way that the two feel one-in-the same — that point of the circle that starts again. The lyrics reflect on relationships — to ones we love, to our own inner turmoil + mental health, to our relationship with death and life itself.

My good friend and collaborator, Madi Vogt, who changed the trajectory of ‘Life’ with their drum performance on the track, described these concepts so beautifully - ‘You’re hearing this person battle and all along there’s nothing they can do except decide how much they let it dictate their inner chaos. They can try to run away from it or toward it but it’s always there. It’s the relationship to it that matters and that they have a say not in the situation itself, but the emotions surrounding it.’

Visually, similar to the artistic process of turning sketches into studies and ultimately into the final piece, I feel like this video had a similar journey — adding to the spirit of the song, reshaping itself and growing deeper with every iteration. The original idea came from slow shutter photos I took of my friend Nate climbing on some rocks [the sketch]. That turned into a slow shutter-based abstract piece I made with Seannie in my driveway [the study] with some climbing holds on a reflective surface. The final video remains simple — it intentionally leaves meanings open-ended for the viewer to reflect based on where they are currently at. For example - the outfit can symbolize what one might wear for their wedding, at a funeral, for a baby shower, in their casket, etc. The backpack can be a symbol of generational trauma, emotional weight, etc. The running can be toward or away from your problems, fears, etc. The climbing could be the in-between of working through it all and feeling stuck at times but hopefully climbing to new points that are higher up."

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Clocking in at just under half an hour, 'This Is Your New Life' – as its title suggests – is as much a gesture to their past as it is a gateway to new beginnings. Across its twelve tracks, Mal Not Bad draws upon influence from the spiralling electronic and ambient worlds of Aphex Twin and Brian Eno to the deft songwriting nuances of Feist, David Byrne and Alex G, with its subject matter stretching across relationships — to ones we love and with ourselves, and with death and life itself, as well as reflections upon modern day communication, and ultimately pausing to observe the world around us, rather than being consumed by the chaos.

Self-produced and recorded by Mal Not Bad in their home in the Melrose District of Los Angeles, 'This Is Your New Life' features instrumental contributions from saxophonist Henry Solomon (known for his work with HAIM), drummer Madi Vogt (Kim Gordon, Lauren Mayberry) and keys from Sam Weber, with the album mastered and co-mixed by James Krausse (Beyoncé, Porches) and John Lowell Anderson (Margaret Glaspy, Lindsey Buckingham).

Speaking more on the upcoming release of their debut full length, Mal Not Bad said:

"This record is a blossoming of a new chapter. Instead of swimming under chaos, 'This Is Your New Life' zooms out and above, coming from more of a settled state of knowing oneself – of seeing patterns and learning which ones are worth keeping, which ones define us, and which ones we want to change. There are songs on the album that serve as reminders of the familiar patterns I see, hear, and feel in myself but come from a more patient, grounded place. Sonically, they don’t seek to push so hard – instead embrace those comfortable, familiar roots and find a way to enhance what’s special about them.

It’s a blossoming of sonic universes for me too - taking instruments and creative approaches that are comfortably rooted in me and pushing them to the places I want to go and see and hear. Similarly with the visuals - taking what I know and exploring what I want to learn more about, within myself as a creative and the art itself."

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To date Mal Not Bad has released two EPs - their debut EP ‘In Free Fall’ released in January 2021, and 2022's 'Continuous Short Feature Film' - released amidst UK/EU & US tours with Skullcrusher and illuminati hotties.

Following further recent dates with acts including Babehoven, A. O. Gerber, and Great Grandpa’s Al Menne, Mal Not Bad's releases to date have been widely supported at BBC 6Music and at press by publications including The Guardian, The Independent, COLORS, Consequence, CLASH Magazine, The Line Of Best Fit, Wonderland Magazine, NPR, Brooklyn Vegan, DIY Magazine, Under The Radar, amongst others.

Mal Not Bad's debut album 'This Is Your New Life' will be released on 9th August. New single "Life" is out now.

Mal Not Bad releases "Life" ahead of eagerly anticipated debut album 'This Is Your New Life' out 9th August

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