This is Tour Diary, where artists give us a behind-the-scenes look at life on the road. Earlier this year, Mandy, Indiana returned with URGH, their sophomore album and Sacred Bones debut. Rather than retread 2023’s i’ve seen a way, their latest expanded on all its strengths, sharpened by years of touring. Featuring floor-rattling beats, billy woods verses, and torrents of distortion over top of Valentine Caulfield’s shapeshifting vocals, largely sung in French, URGH challenges its listeners to find their own meaning within the noise. It’s brutal, unsettling, and completely intentional, mirroring everyday horrors while simultaneously encouraging movement to shake them off. Live, that feeling only intensifies, giving audiences a space to free themselves, whether that’s witnessing them yell through “Magazine” or cast rays of hope on the industrial-tinted “A Brighter Tomorrow.”
Read more: Model/Actriz lay themselves bare
While running around the U.K., Mandy, Indiana took us through some of the finer moments of their ongoing tour. From BBC Radio 6 appearances to a rare matinee show, check out the photos below, captured on film. Next up, the band play tonight in Berlin before hitting Roadburn Festival.
Early start leaving Manchester in the van, driven by the inimitable Danny W. We’ll meet Val in London. / Alex Macdougall
Down the motorway, past globular altocumulus clouds. / Alex Macdougall
Arrival at Heaven in London. As journeys to the capital go, it was fairly seamless. Seeing our manager and fifth member of the band, Tash, for the first time in a long while was spesh. / Alex Macdougall
Set up and soundcheck. The stage in Heaven is so high that it actually sits in the clouds. / Alex Macdougall
Scott checks his guitar. / Alex Macdougall
Day two after a belter in Heaven (thanks to Louie on lights, Mark on sound, and Keith @ Bad Vibrations). Val, Scott, and Alex arrive at Media City, Salford to be first frisked, and then live on R6 with Craig Charles. / Alex Macdougall
Craig doing his thing. Val narrowly evades swearing live on air, but Brexit is mentioned. Scott admits to Craig his childhood love for Red Dwarf. / Alex Macdougall
In the basement of YES preparing before the Manc show. / Alex Macdougall
Sound checking at the Brudenell, Leeds. This was my favorite show of the five-day U.K. run. The vibes in the Community Room were very, very good. So good in fact that we came back out to play another… which we never do. / Alex Macdougall
Traveling Leeds to Glasgow. We were joined by Buffee for these two shows. Wonderful person, great to have her with us. Really great producer… Check her stuff out at: https://buffee.bandcamp.com/ / Alex Macdougall
On a walkabout before the Glasgow show. Thai food. / Alex Macdougall
Final show of this run is Liverpool at Rough Trade, for a matinee show (!). We traveled through the night and lost an hour to daylight saving. Body is hurting after five shows on the trot, but it’s still a slammer. Thanks to everyone that came down after church! / Alex Macdougall
