New music review with singles from M(h)aol and Problem Patterns
Julia Mason aka The Decibel Decoder- Apr 17
- 5 min read
Our weekly fix of the best new music as Julia Mason (aka The Decibel Decoder) brings us her new music review with singles from M(h)aol I Miss My Dog and Problem Patterns ft Matt Korvette Sad Old Woman
Artist: M(h)aol
Track: I Miss My Dog
M(h)aol share new single I Miss My Dog from their forthcoming album Something Soft set for release on 16 May via Merge Records. The release is accompanied by a band-made video featuring crowd-sourced clips of fans’ pets. The video is a heartfelt tribute to the dogs we’ve loved and lost, and the ones still with us.
Based in Dublin, Belfast, and London, Constance Keane (She/Her), Jamie Hyland (She/Her), and Sean Nolan (He/Him) have built a reputation for thrilling live performances, fostering an atmosphere that encourages community and catharsis regardless of where they play. This is never more evident than on new single I Miss My Dog. The scratchy static opening is at pace with bleeping beats and increasingly pounding drums. The whole track is one to heighten the senses, already emotional due to the theme. It's over way too quick, always a good sign, and immediately had to be played again.
Of the track Constance Keane shares: “I Miss My Dog is a song about my dog Poppy, and the experience of losing a pet. She passed away in July last year, and I still sometimes wake up thinking she’s with us. I think losing a dog is something that people either understand or they don’t, and this is a song for those of us that do.”
Like its predecessors Attachment Styles and the Gender Studies EP released via TULLE, Something Soft was recorded by Jamie Hyland (who has also worked with Gilla Band, Lambrini Girls’ acclaimed debut, The Psychotic Monks). It is the most technically nimble of M(h)aol’s recordings to date, with the band - joined by Pixie Cut Rhythm Orchestra’s Sarah Deegan on bass - decamping to Dublin’s Ailfionn Studio where they took advantage of the space and studio equipment to bring more nuance to their sound.
M(h)aol also announce new UK headline shows this September in support of Something Soft. To celebrate the release, the band will play a special in-store performance at Rough Trade East in London on 20 May, following their album release show at London's George Tavern on 16 May.
M(h)aol Live Dates
April
17 - Electric Brixon, London (Lambrini Girls)May
16 - The George Tavern, London
18 - Le Botaniques, Brussels
20 - Rough Trade East, London
28 - The Black Box, Belfast (w/ Cola & Junk Drawer)
29 - Sandinos, Derry (w/ Cola & Junk Drawer)
30 May - The Roisin Dubh, Galway (w/ Cola & Junk Drawer)
31 May - Kasbah Social Club, Limerick (w/ Cola & Junk Drawer)
June
1 - Coughlans, Cork (w/ Cola & Junk Drawer)
2 - Coughlans, Cork (w/ Cola & Junk Drawer)
3 - Luca Records and Decks, Waterford (w/ Cola & Junk Drawer)
4 - Whelan’s, Dublin (w/ Cola & Junk Drawer)
13 - Pies Pala Pop, Rennes*
14 - More Women On Stage, Paris*
September
17 - Nice N Sleazy, Glasgow
18 - Sneaky Pete's, Edinburgh
19 - Future Yard, Birkenhead
20 - Headrow House, Leeds
23 - Heartbreakers, Southampton
24 - The Louisiana, Bristol
25 - Rough Trade, Nottingham
26 - Hare & Hounds, Birmingham
27 - SOUP, Manchester
*Festival
* * *
Artist: Problem Patterns ft Matt Korvette
Track: Sad Old Woman
Belfast-based DIY feminist queerpunk quartet Problem Patterns are delighted to return with new single Sad Old Woman, via Alcopop! Records and featuring vocals from Matt Korvette of Pissed Jeans (Sub Pop Records).
Commenting on the track, the band say: “Sad Old Woman is about accepting the inevitable. The older women get, the more they’re forced to maintain a certain image and decorum, lest they become grotesque or even worse, invisible. There is a checklist of life goals ingrained in our society that we feel pressured to complete by a certain age; many that seemed obvious in previous decades seem less attainable for the majority now. To critique these standards can often invite remarks of bitterness. Aging is a gift, and we should embrace it while we can.”
A formative influence for Problem Patterns since day one, the collaboration with Pissed Jeans on the new track seems to have been written in the stars. They share: “One of our early songs, Mediocre Man, was kind of a satirical response to their song Boring Girls. We finally got to see Pissed Jeans live in Dublin in 2024, with Alanah wearing a bootleg Pissed Jeans T-shirt made by the rest of the band. We told Matt about how much they inspired us and joked around about asking him to collaborate - like with most things we do, we committed to the bit and he was on board.”
Known for his intensely creative vocals, Korvette took the role and ran with it, playing the voice of the inner saboteur of the Sad Old Woman in a grotesque and tongue in cheek manner. Problem Patterns admit: “We’re endlessly grateful that he wanted to get involved and he has more than delivered with his iconic, manic vocals. From Boring Girls to Mediocre Man to Sad Old Woman, the circle is complete.”
On the collaboration, Pissed Jeans vocalist Matt Korvette said: “I met Problem Patterns after they were slamming up front in homemade Pissed Jeans shirts at a show, and am deeply honoured to contribute to Sad Old Woman. I hope to one day wear my own homemade Problem Patterns shirt in their pit! The sad old woman is the woman in me…”
Alongside the new single, the band are pleased to announce new April/May 2025 EU, UK and Ireland tour dates, plus festival appearances at NXNE, Under The Drum, and Get In Her Ears Fest, and support dates with BO NINGEN and Michael Cera Palin.
Problem Patterns Live Dates
April
16 - Belgium - Trixx Club (‘A Place To Bury Strangers’ aftershow)
17 - Rotterdam - Motel Mozaique
18 - Maastricht - Raise The Volume Punx
19 - Utrecht - DBs x Riot House
20 - Rotterdam - Start Your Own Riot Grrrl Band Workshop
24 - Dublin - Swim Tissue, Anseo (w/ Spit!)
25 - Longford - TBA
26 - Derry - Numuze, Bennigans (w/ Cloakroom Q + Sensory Overload)
May
01 - Limerick - Wombat Promotions, Record Roo
02 - Waterford - Luca Records (w/ Big Tears)
03 - Newry - Yewtree Promotions, Magnet Centre
06 - Belfast - USC (w/ Michael Cera Palin)
07 - Dublin, Workmans (w/ Michael Cera Palin)
June
06 - Bath - Alcopop! Stage (w/Bo Ningen + Cherym)
11–15 - NXNE - Toronto
August
09 - NI - Under The Drum
September
27 - London - Cavendish Arms - Get In Her Ears Fest
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