After a significant six-year absence, indie stalwarts Mystery Jets have triumphantly returned with their new, raucous single, ‘Black Sage’. This release marks their first new original music since 2020's acclaimed ‘A Billion Heartbeats’, signaling an exciting new chapter for the Twickenham band.
The track, released via Fiction Records, was crafted in collaboration with acclaimed producer Leo Abrahams, known for his work with Brian Eno and Frightened Rabbit. ‘Black Sage’ delivers a pulsating, growling psych-rock sound, immediately grabbing listeners with its feedback-laden guitar buzz.
Frontman Blaine Harrison delves into the philosophical underpinnings of the track, stating: “For centuries, black sage has been used by indigenous communities in smudging ceremonies, where the smoke is believed to clear away negative energies or unwanted spirits. But what if we are vessels for those energies, and the ghosts from our pasts have been living inside us all along?”
He elaborates on the core message and the creative process, adding: “The message of the song is that healing is inseparable from suffering, but there is beauty to be found in the broken. Some songs arrive all at once, but ‘Black Sage’ came to life by stitching together a patchwork of extended jam sessions, where we’d loop ideas around and improvise until we reached a kind of hypnotic flow state, allowing the song to reveal to us what it wanted to become. We’ve not written that way since the very earliest days of the band, so we knew it had to be the first track to share from this new chapter”.
A New Sonic Chapter for Mystery Jets
The sonic landscape of ‘Black Sage’ suggests a bold recalibration for Mystery Jets. Moving from the socially conscious anthems of ‘A Billion Heartbeats’—which NME hailed as a “wildly successful take on the world at large”—to this raw, psychedelic beast, indicates a willingness to push their boundaries. The return to early songwriting methods via extended jam sessions could unlock a new vein of creativity, appealing to both long-time fans and new listeners.
This comeback is particularly notable following a period where bassist Jack Flanagan launched a solo career in 2022 with ‘Rides The Sky’. While the band did release the lockdown covers album ‘Home Protests’ in 2020, the full-band silence on original material has been considerable. ‘Black Sage’ firmly re-establishes their collective identity, setting the stage for what could be their most introspective and experimental era yet.
Fans will have a chance to experience the band's rejuvenated energy live, as Mystery Jets are slated to perform at The Maccabees’ show at Leeds’ Kirkstall Abbey on July 31. They will share the stage with fellow indie giants Maximo Park and Everything Everything, promising an unmissable event.
