Mudskipper is a New York City-based psychedelic punk quartet. Jacob “Jmac” Mckelvey and Sandy Friedman met through mutual friends who connected them due to similar experimental music tastes. After spending half a year living in Europe, Friedman joined Mckelvey’s existing folk project alongside bassist Connor Miller and percussionist Jamie Walker, adding his unique and exploratory guitar virtuosity to distort the band’s sound into higher decibels.
Known for their improvisational and boundary-pushing live performances, the band had to take a unique approach to channel this energy in the studio, and the result is satisfying and electric. “Lagoon” takes the best from Mckelvey’s noise rock and Friedman’s jazz-rock influences to create a genre-bending psychedelic punk track that will punch you in the throat.
The latest single from Mudskipper, “Lagoon,” is the type of song you wouldn’t describe as catchy, but the energy it radiates has the ability to stick with you like a sugary pop hook. The band places the listener back in the early days of punk while maintaining a modern fusion approach that blurs the lines between eras. The raw vocals and high-octane tempos coat the room the same way a swig of red wine coats your teeth, but the stains left behind by “Lagoon” are more than welcome. The song dips into different moods, starting with an onslaught of anger only to plunge into a hazy, psychedelic mind state, never losing the chugging force from the thudding drums and searing guitars. Mudskipper released a statement piece with “Lagoon.” That statement echos the band’s ethos of grasping lofty visions and filtering them through a tight prowess, allowing their music to feel unrestricted yet honed all at once.
“‘Lagoon’ is the culmination of a year and a half of countless gigs, honing our distinct sound and influences into something we’re very proud of,” explains the band. “We’re getting right back into the studio and can’t wait to release more music!”
