Mandy, Indiana - Cursive

New Music 2026 Q1 W02

Mandy, Indiana – Cursive

Mandy, Indiana shift their approach on “Cursive”, a track built from the ground up through rhythm rather than melody. The Manchester-via-Berlin band’s latest single from upcoming album “URGH” (out February 6 via Sacred Bones Records) marks a departure in their creative process, with drummer Alex Macdougall’s rhythmic sketches and synth player Simon Catling’s bass sequence forming the foundation. Before vocalist Valentine Caulfield and guitarist/producer Scott Fair shaped everything into its final form.

Catling calls it their most collaborative track to date, describing it as “a step into the unknown” for the band. Rather than Fair and Caulfield providing the initial spark as usual, “Cursive” grew from interlocking percussion and bass patterns before vocals entered the picture. The result is relentless, starting with frenetic drums and building into a noisy, propulsive dance track that never lets up. Caulfield’s French vocals cut through the dense production, her voice alternating between playful and sharp.

“URGH” was co-produced and co-mixed by Fair and Daniel Fox of Gilla Band. Much of the album was written during an intense residency at a studio house outside Leeds, then recorded across Berlin and Greater Manchester. The process was shaped by difficult circumstances, with both Caulfield and Macdougall undergoing multiple surgeries during the same period as recording. That exhaustion and physical strain bleed into the album’s atmosphere, blurring inner turmoil with external chaos.

Caulfield’s lyrics tackle heavy subjects, including sexual assault, systemic indifference, and persistent pain. Though most lyrics appear in French, the emotional weight cuts through regardless of language. She uses her voice as both instrument and weapon across the album’s ten tracks.

The album features a guest appearance from Brooklyn rapper billy woods on “Sicko!” and sees all four band members actively involved in songwriting for the first time. Following their acclaimed 2023 debut “i’ve seen a way”, “URGH” marks their first release for Sacred Bones Records.

The band hits the road throughout 2026, supporting Machine Girl at Manchester’s O2 Ritz on January 31 before their own UK and European tour spanning March and April.