Written by Sophie Wyatt
Raw, honest and unfiltered are just some of the words that spring to mind when listening to the intricate lyricism of Dutch band Mood Bored. Having previously toured with Nations of Language, supported Wolf Alice, Sorry, and Bdrmm, Mood Bored are no strangers to music that will hit you straight in the gut and leave you crawling back for more.
Since they started playing together in 2018, the trio grew closer and began to emit the same love for music. During the pandemic, the three artists decided that they wanted to create a band that was “equally all ours, something we could put everything into.” They spent their time playing, writing songs and Mood Bored was born. And while we know them by this name today, they explained that they went without an official title for a long time in the lead up to putting out their music. “We didn’t have a name for a long time, until we needed to submit our band for an opportunity to play somewhere and we realised we really needed to just choose something. We had been making mood boards and mind maps for lots of different names and ideas. From that, the idea ‘mood bored’ came to life and we decided to run with it, hoping it would become less corny over time. It never did but at least now people now how to find us and book us and things like that.”
Spending years creating music together, it’s only natural that the trio’s ideas and feelings towards music have started to evolve and grow into each others. They explained that they had the same initial vision for the band; “make songs together, focus on having fun, being silly, and to not take things too seriously.” But as their music started to progress and their fan base in turn grew, they started to take it more seriously. While their music is not an antidote for their generational issues, they do aim to give people a place of relatability and redemption with their music. Their music makes every day issues tangible, while bringing a new perspective to them.
Too Much? is the name of the bands new EP. The EP is a glittering indie-pop record, fuelled with danceability, dizzying guitar riffs, and introspective lyricism, whilst also dancing between self-doubt and the desperate hope to be seen as worthy of affection, driven through challenging lyrics and unapologetic vulnerability. “We feel like Too Much? Is some of the best music we’ve ever made”, they explained. “We’re super excited to share it with everyone. We feel as though it sounds better as we’ve matured sonically, the productions are crazy good, and it’s more thought out! It’s a little heavier and bigger than our first EP. Our music is constantly evolving and growing with us while we grow and change too. Lyrically it still covers a lot of the same themes and feelings, but in a new way that feels more intense and poignant. We hope this is something that people can resonate with.”
The band go on to sum up the new project in the most apt way; “musically most of the songs build towards a climax that spit all of these themes and feelings back out in a very cathartic way.” As raw as ever, the trio are what they are and they’re not afraid to express exactly what they believe to be correct. “We hope people will, through the music, really seek out that desperate shitty feeling for a second instead of pushing it down or pretending that it doesn’t exist. It would be really sick if people could feel all of that with us and it can be something to bring us together. But of course we appreciate anyone listening just for the mere fact that the music sounds dope.”
Their latest release ‘Wet Faced & Ugly’, ahead of ‘Too Much?’, has been highly anticipated by fans. The single that is driven by a melancholic acoustic guitar, intertwined with grunge-style electric guitar drones, and intricate lyricism, exploring the concepts of yearning, fragility, and the ache of wanting to be loved even when feeling broken or undeserving. “We were trying to write music in a shitty rehearsal room one day and it wasn’t working out“, they started. “With all our ideas we were trying to chase something that we couldn’t catch. We were angry, overwhelmed, stressed. Out of this feeling came a very repetitive, droney and aggressive instrumental. We were done with the downward spiral we were in, and angrily wanted to drive on that one chord in the chorus. The lyrics continued on this idea and became the ‘burn-out’ anthem of the EP.”
Finally we asked Mood Bored what we can expect to see from them post-release. “Lot’s of touring and playing as many cool shows as we can. We’re perfecting our live show as we’re working towards our release tour in the Netherlands. Aside from that, we’re always writing and recording more music. Oh, and we’re releasing ‘Too Much?’ On vinyl as well!”
You can now listen to Mood Bored’s brand new EP Too Much? on Spotify
