Sleaford Mods – No Touch feat. Sue Tompkins
Sleaford Mods team up with Sue Tompkins from Life Without Buildings on “No Touch”, a track that pairs Andrew Fearn’s minimal beats and music box motif with Jason Williamson’s usual punch and Tompkins’ instantly recognisable vocal style. The collaboration came together through Rough Trade’s Jeannette Lee and Geoff Travis, who connected Williamson with Tompkins after the label reissued Life Without Buildings’ cult classic “Any Other City” back in 2001.
The recording process started with voice notes traded between Williamson and Tompkins, who sent rough kitchen recordings that became the foundation for the track. She came down to Invada Studios in Bristol for two days to lay down vocals while dealing with a cold, which Williamson says actually added character to the performance. She brought quirky one-liners for the intro and outro, then expanded on Williamson’s chorus with her lyrics.
Williamson calls it a kitchen sink drama about drug use and the exhibitionism that comes with it, though he’s also described it as dealing with isolation, loneliness and self-harm under conformity’s rigid structures. Tompkins was drawn to the immediate sadness and vulnerability she heard in Williamson’s initial demos, responding in a way that emphasizes those emotions.
Andrea Arnold directed the video near her childhood home in Dartford, shooting on 16mm and 35mm with cinematographer Robbie Ryan. The location featured in her Oscar-winning short “Wasp” and her recent film “Bird”, which included both a Sleaford Mods track and a Williamson cameo.
“No Touch” comes from “The Demise Of Planet X”, out January 16 on Rough Trade Records. The album shows the duo revealing new depths alongside their trademark grit and anger, with guests including Aldous Harding and Gwendoline Christie.
Europe Tour Dates:
- Glasgow Barrowland Ballroom, UK – February 6
- Manchester Academy, UK – February 7
- Leeds O2 Academy, UK – February 12
- Liverpool O2 Academy, UK – February 13
- Cardiff Great Hall, UK – February 14
- Dublin 3Olympia Theatre, Ireland – February 19
- Belfast Limelight, UK – February 20
- Cork Cyprus Avenue, Ireland – February 21 (SOLD OUT)
- Oxford O2 Academy, UK – February 26
- Nottingham Rock City, UK – February 27 (SOLD OUT)
- Nottingham Rock City, UK – February 28
- Bristol Beacon, UK – March 5
- Brighton Dome, UK – March 6
- London O2 Academy Brixton, UK – March 7
