PETROL GIRLS announce new album ‘Cut & Stitch’ Set for release 24th May via Hassle Records

PETROL GIRLS announce new album ‘Cut & Stitch’
Set for release 24th May via Hassle Records

UK dates including The Great Escape & Rough Trade Instores

An introduction to ‘Cut & Stitch’ from Petrol Girls’ vocalist Ren Aldridge:

“Cut & Stitch is a patchwork of different sounds, ideas and feelings. It’s the most experimental record we’ve made so far, both musically and lyrically. Cutting and stitching is a process that can go on indefinitely – stitches are easily unpicked, new shapes can be cut, everything can be rearranged. We cut our patches off of old clothes and sew them onto something else. Continuity is an idea that underpins the record, from ‘the sound does not arrive’ to ‘we’re not finished, we never fucking will be.’ This follows on from the sentiment of our last EP, ‘The Future is Dark.’ Political change is a slow, complicated process that’s often only partly visible with hindsight. Making change is a constant collective process that never stops. Its probably impossible for us to see our place within it or to know what consequences our actions will have. It isn’t as simple or hopeless as straightforward victories and failures.

Feminism has become more of an overall approach than an obvious topic, seeping into the way we think about everything from the environment to mental health. We’ve also started to think more about what feminism means for men, given that half of the band are men, and explore the perspective of a man struggling with expressing his emotions in ‘Talk in Tongues.’ 

The majority of the lyrics were written in the studio. I was having a difficult time, unsure about where to live after we finished the record, and burnt out from a tough year of personal and legal challenges. Something that I’ve reluctantly allowed feminism to teach me is that we have to tend to our own wounds, and that sometimes being vulnerable is just as radical as being angry – it certainly scares me a lot more. Rage on its own isn’t sustainable. We hope this is a more honest and human record.”

‘Cut & Stitch’ will be released on May 24^th via Hassle Records, and will be available on 12” vinyl and CD. There are limited indie-exclusive and official store-exclusive vinyl colourways, plus a screenprinted sleeve version of the LP and a Rough Trade Edition written by Ren, both exclusive to Bandcamp. In celebration of the album release, the band will also be performing at Rough Trade stores in London, Bristol and Nottingham during the week of album release.

PETROL GIRLS ON TOUR:
MAY
02 – SBAM Fest, Wels AT
04 – Ladyfuzz Fest, Brighton UK
05 – Handmade Fest, Leicester UK 
05 – 0161 Fest, Manchester UK
09 – The Great Escape Fest, Brighton UK
22 – Anti-Fest, Antwerp BE
23 – Anti-Fest, Amesfoort NL
27 – Rough Trade Instore, Nottingham
28 – Rough Trade Instore,  Bristol
29 – Rough Trade Instore, London East
31 – New Cross Inn, London (w/ War on Women)
JUN
01 – Hell Hath No Fury Fest, Manchester
03 – Autonomour Space, Glasgow (w/ War on Women)
04 – Red Rum, Stafford  (w/ War on Women)
05 – The Cavern, Exeter  (w/ War on Women)
07 – Magasin 4, Brussels BE  (w/ War on Women)
09 – Booze Cruise, Hamburg DE 
10 – Bei Chez Heinz, Hannover DE (w/ War on Women)
11 – Underdogs, Prague CR (w/ War on Women)
12 – Schlachthof, Wiesbaden DE (w/ War on Women)
13 – AJZ Bahndamm, Wermelskirchen DE (w/ War on Women)
14 – Jugendhaus West, Stuttgart DE (w/ War on Women)
15 – Gibus Club, Paris FR  (w/ War on Women)
16 – Le Farmer, Lyon FR  (w/ War on Women)
18 – Dynamo Werk 21, Zurich CH (w/ War on Women)
19 – EKH, Vienna AT (w/ War on Women)
20 – Kapu, Linz AT (w/ War on Women)
21 – Glockenbachwerkstatt (w/ War on Women)
22 – Bollwerk 107, Moers (w/ War on Women)
JUL
11 – 2000Trees Festival, Cheltenham UK
13 – Kliko Fest, Haarlem, NL

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