Credit: Thomas Davis

Soft Play announce new album ‘Heavy Jelly’ and share single ‘Act Violently’

Fri 3 May 2024 11:03, UK

Soft Play, the duo formerly known as Slaves, are finally releasing a new album for the first time since changing their name. Heavy Jelly will arrive on July 19th, following their last album, 2018’s Acts of Fear and Love.

The duo, who formed in 2012, were a staple of the 2010s British indie scene. Inspired by punk and nu-metal, the band stood out as one of the heavier acts in the scene, touring with huge artists such as Kasabian, Foo Fighters, Interpol, and, more recently, The Prodigy.

After releasing an EP in 2019, The Velvet Ditch, the band went on hiatus, leaving fans unsure whether they’d ever reunite. Over those five years, the pair – Isaac Holman and Laurie Vincent – have embarked on solo careers, with Holman concentrating on Baby Dave and Vincent performing as Larry Pink The Human.

Fans can now get excited, however, as 11 new songs will be available in July, teasing a promising new chapter for the band, aided by a new name and a slightly more intense sound. Soft Play initially returned with ‘Punk’s Dead’, featuring a surprise appearance from an unlikely guest, Robbie Williams. Released back in August 2023, the single was received positively by fans, who were gifted another song in the form of ‘Mirror Muscles’ in March 2024.

These two singles will appear on Heavy Jelly alongside their new track, ‘Act Violently’. The song sees the pair air their frustrations about reckless e-scooter drivers, with the video showing Holman nearly getting swept off his feet as he steps out of the corner shop.

With a melody not dissimilar from ‘Chop Suey’ by System of a Down and a Midnight Cowboy reference – “I’m walkin’ here!” – the song certainly sounds a little different from their older work. Discussing the new single, Vincent explains, “The whole walk back to the studio, we were discussing our contempt for e-scooter drivers. They should be illegal. They shouldn’t be on the road. They should need a theory test. It was just a rich well to discuss, and the song’s about that.”

2024 is set to be a big year for Soft Play as they embark on a string of live dates at festivals like The Great Escape, Tramlines, Truck, Y Not and Yungblud’s Bludfest.

Listen to ‘Act Violently’ below.