On repeat: Mouth Ulcers - Lady Rust

Where have all the goth kids gone? Well, here they are. Mouth Ulcers hail from the haunted suburbs of Big Smoke. They combine melodic basslines and the emotional intensity of post-punk with the dramatics of gothic rock. My friend John Robb had been praising them for a while, so I gave them a listen and was hooked immediately. Their debut EP, Silent Pictures, already delivered a proper goth rock sound, so I was curious about the new song.

If you are into vampire tales, Lady Rust is for you. It's the band's latest release and it's taken from their debut album, You’re Not in Heaven, which is due to be released on 23 April 2027.

For Lady Rust, they’ve brought in none other than Rosie Garland of The March Violets. That alone already sells the track to me. I've been a long-time fan of The March Violets. I met Rosie at Louder Than Words festival in Manchester last year, and seeing her appear on a track like this with a band like this feels simply fitting.

Eerie tones and howling sounds create a sense of danger before the distorted guitar locks the rhythm in. The groovy bass and drums then bring everything into motion, with a haunting guitar riff as the threatening counterpart. The bass drives the song forward as the guitar turns the atmosphere more grim.

It's a song for dark, mysterious October evenings, when a gothic tune seems to be the only fitting soundtrack.

Mouth Ulcers are a band to watch, and I highly recommend giving them a listen if goth is your thing... but even if it isn't, you might discover a mystical charm in their sound.