EPISODE · Nov 20, 2025 · 15 MIN
Kula Shaker's Crispian Mills on new album 'Wormslayer' due out in January
from SWOMP · host SWOMP
Kula Shaker, the psychedelic rock band that once stood apart from Britpop’s swagger with its mystical flair and sitar-laced guitar work, is preparing to release its eighth studio album, Wormslayer, on Jan. 30, 2026. SWOMP caught up with vocalist and guitarist Crispian Mills to discuss the record. The band, still made up of its original lineup of Mills, Alonza Bevan, Paul Winterhart and Jay Darlington, recently marked the announcement with a new single, 'Good Money'. The track blends ’60s psychedelia, soul and funk, while its video takes a decidedly modern turn. “Our last video was all in camera, real stunts, real props and epic battle scenes which people assumed was all AI,” Mills said in a statement. “So we’ve taken a different approach with Good Money. The whole video is entirely AI generated by two monkeys, we gave them the song and the lyrics and this is what they came up with. It’s kind of mind blowing.” Mills said the song is built on a “classic Faustian pact” and forms part of a larger psychedelic opera unfolding across the record. He described the narrative as one about “a boy in a small community, who grows wings and how the local people come to treat him. Some think he's a freak, some think he's a cherub, others cynically see him as an opportunity to make money… Is it a metaphor for the music business? I’d say it’s a metaphor for life.” The upcoming album has already been previewed with 'Charge of the Light Brigade' and 'Broke as Folk', which showcase the band’s trademark harmonies and sweeping technicolour sound. Other tracks explore new territory, including pastoral folk on Dust, gothic crooning on Little Darling, and the cinematic, mantra-driven metal of the title track. “I hope people enjoy the twists and turns that this new record takes you on,” Mills said. “We always loved those psychedelic records that had great songs, great production, great storytelling, and took you on a journey… Kula Shaker has a life of its own. We’re just passengers, watching it happen in real time.” The band says Wormslayer captures its live energy more fully than past releases. Visit https://kulashaker.co.uk/ for more details.
What this episode covers
Kula Shaker, the psychedelic rock band that once stood apart from Britpop’s swagger with its mystical flair and sitar-laced guitar work, is preparing to release its eighth studio album, Wormslayer, on Jan. 30, 2026. SWOMP caught up with vocalist and guitarist Crispian Mills to discuss the record. The band, still made up of its original lineup of Mills, Alonza Bevan, Paul Winterhart and Jay Darlington, recently marked the announcement with a new single, 'Good Money'. The track blends ’60s psychedelia, soul and funk, while its video takes a decidedly modern turn. “Our last video was all in camera, real stunts, real props and epic battle scenes which people assumed was all AI,” Mills said in a statement. “So we’ve taken a different approach with Good Money. The whole video is entirely AI generated by two monkeys, we gave them the song and the lyrics and this is what they came up with. It’s kind of mind blowing.” Mills said the song is built on a “classic Faustian pact” and forms part of a larger psychedelic opera unfolding across the record. He described the narrative as one about “a boy in a small community, who grows wings and how the local people come to treat him. Some think he's a freak, some think he's a cherub, others cynically see him as an opportunity to make money… Is it a metaphor for the music business? I’d say it’s a metaphor for life.” The upcoming album has already been previewed with 'Charge of the Light Brigade' and 'Broke as Folk', which showcase the band’s trademark harmonies and sweeping technicolour sound. Other tracks explore new territory, including pastoral folk on Dust, gothic crooning on Little Darling, and the cinematic, mantra-driven metal of the title track. “I hope people enjoy the twists and turns that this new record takes you on,” Mills said. “We always loved those psychedelic records that had great songs, great production, great storytelling, and took you on a journey… Kula Shaker has a life of its own. We’re just passengers, watching it happen in real time.” The band says Wormslayer captures its live energy more fully than past releases. Visit https://kulashaker.co.uk/ for more details.
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Kula Shaker's Crispian Mills on new album 'Wormslayer' due out in January
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