Hot Mulligan Announce New Album 'The Sound a Body Makes When It’s Still'

PHOTO CREDIT: KAYTLIN DARGEN

Post-emo heavyweights Hot Mulligan have announced their highly anticipated fourth full-length album, ‘The Sound a Body Makes When It’s Still’, set for release on August 22 via Wax Bodega. Alongside the album news, the band has dropped a new single and music video, “And a Big Load”. 

Hot Mulligan have carved out a reputation as one of the most unflinchingly honest voices in modern emo. Formed in 2014 in Michigan, the band came up through the DIY scene, building a devoted fanbase by blending raw vulnerability, biting sarcasm, and relentless energy. Now, ten years in and bigger than ever, they're gearing up to release what promises to be their most cohesive and emotionally resonant record yet.

“And a Big Load” sets the tone immediately. A searing, punk-inflected anthem filled with frustration, self-awareness, and emotional outpouring. The track captures the band at their sharpest. It’s a scream-along song for anyone who’s ever felt stuck in their own self-inflicted cycles. “Nothing good can come of me, I’m useless,” a rallying cry. The video, directed by Michael Herrick, matches the energy with a skate park performance that's equal parts chaos and charisma.

“It’s the consequences of your own actions. You could face them; you could avoid them entirely,” guitarist and co-vocalist Chris Freeman shares. “Our biggest conflicts and struggles are often self-inflicted. Drink too much? Hangover. What did you say last night? Apologize… or don’t. You could commit suicide instead. You could commit to being sober. You could commit to drinking one million beers. At the end of the day it’ll all be left for you to deal with. It’s terrifying.” 

The album’s title, ‘The Sound a Body Makes When It’s Still’, is both meditative and unsettling. It’s drawn from a lyric in a song about paranoia and fear, themes that thread through the record’s emotional core. 

“You can go the meditation route, or the horror that you are in your body and have to exist,” explains co-vocalist Tade Sanville. “You have no choice, really. Even if you plan on killing yourself, right now you exist. And that is a terrifying thing.”

Throughout the album’s 16 tracks, Hot Mulligan explore and unravel these contradictions; finding calm in chaos, humor in despair, and moments of clarity in the midst of spiraling thoughts. With its bold riffs, layered arrangements, and raw lyricism, this album doesn’t shy away from the uncomfortable. This new era of Hot Mulligan finds the band not only more refined sonically, but more fearless. From their humble beginnings and meme-worthy song titles to selling out thousand-capacity venues, they remain a band rooted in sincerity, imperfection, and unfiltered self-expression.

The Sound a Body Makes When It’s Still will be released August 22 via Wax Bodega.

Australian fans can preorder exclusive vinyl here.

"And a Big Load” is streaming everywhere.