Superchunk Return with Their First New Music in 4 Years

The indie rock heroes have just released a new 7-inch featuring "I Got Cut" and a cover of Tom Robinson Band's "Up Against the Wall"

BY Brock ThiessenPublished Jun 2, 2017

Following four years of relative silence, Superchunk are finally bestowing some new music upon us. The indie rock lifers have just released a new 7-inch single, featuring the new original "I Got Cut" on the A-side and a cover of Tom Robinson Band's "Up Against the Wall" on the flip.

The 7-inch is limited to 500 copies, with all proceeds going towards Planned Parenthood South Atlantic. Seeing how we live in a very digital world, you can also stream the two-track single here on the streaming platform of your choice or listen to at the bottom of the page. You can order the physical release here via Merge.

Along with the normal edition, there will be 20 versions of the 7-inches with unique record sleeves created by a series of artists, with all proceeds again going to Planned Parenthood. A press release explains, "Each artist was asked to create a unique work of art on a piece of fine art paper the size of an unfolded 7-inch single sleeve, and the results from everyone involved are stunning."

These super limited version will go up for auction on Paddle8 beginning June 15, with bidding closing on June 29. Each winning bidder will receive a special color pressing of the 7-inch housed in the standard sleeve, in addition to the original artwork.

In a lengthy statement, Superchunk frontman Mac McCaughan had this to say about the release:

All people should have access to reproductive health care. All people should have control over their own bodies. "I Got Cut" was inspired by images like the photograph of our current president surrounded by a bunch of other ancient white guys, all smiling as they took away access to reproductive health care for women all over the world. The first line in the song, "All these old men won't die too soon," is a reference to them and anyone like them attacking women's health care. On the positive side, the song is also inspired by shows of unity like the Women's March on Washington in January. It's about freedom of choice. It's about healing psychic and physical wounds and staying free. It's about getting out of the way to make room for people younger and more enlightened than ourselves.



Though it was originally written and recorded by the Tom Robinson Band in 1978, the B-side "Up Against the Wall" is an appropriate song for these times. Jon suggested covering this great song years ago and we never got around to it, but it made perfect sense to do so now. Tom Robinson himself was kind enough to waive his publishing royalties in order to better serve the fundraising cause of the single.



I felt like making a record in the punk rock tradition we grew up with, including the collage I created for the sleeve. Likewise, when we presented the concept to the artists involved, we proposed that the art be the size of an unfolded 7-inch sleeve, mirroring the style of all the singles we put out when we first started Merge over 25 years ago. As they were in 1989, the sleeves were printed by Barefoot Press in Raleigh (and they donated these to help the cause). We also put these together by hand like we did then.



These 7-inches are more expensive than a regular single because we are raising money for Planned Parenthood, an organization that works tirelessly to provide something that should be a right, not a privilege: health care. It's easy to get discouraged when suddenly those in charge seem intent on ruining everything that is good about our country. We're trying to channel the rage we share with you in a productive direction. Thanks for listening.



 

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