SCOTTISH indie band Arab Strap was formed in 1995 by Aidan Moffat (vocals, lyrics) and Malcolm Middleton (guitar, music). The duo carved out a distinctive niche with their raw, confessional lyrics and sparse, melancholic instrumentation.
The music blends elements of post-rock, indie folk, and slowcore, often centred on themes of love, loss, addiction, and the bleakness of everyday life.
Their debut album, The Week Never Starts Round Here (1996), introduced their unique sound—Moffat’s often spoken-word, half-sung vocal delivery paired with Middleton’s atmospheric guitar work. Follow-up albums like Philophobia (1998) and The Red Thread (2001) solidified their reputation for crafting deeply personal, unflinchingly honest songs.
Arab Strap disbanded in 2006 but reunited in 2016 for a series of live shows, re-igniting interest in their music. In 2021, they released As Days Get Dark, their first studio album in 16 years, to critical acclaim.
In May this year, Arab Strap released their new album titled “I’m totally fine with it – don’t give a f**k anymore”
Almost 28 years after their debut, Arab Strap have never sounded more essential, and this new record is a fierce testament to their laser focus on wider horizons. Written and performed exclusively by Malcolm Middleton and Aidan Moffat, and finessed with longtime collaborator Paul Savage, the album furthers the band’s transformation from swooning, slow-core romantics to raging, alt-pop chroniclers.
“I’m totally fine with it – don’t give a f**k anymore” might sound like the title of an album by a band giving up (it’s just a text from the band’s live drummer that Moffat thought was funny), but in reality it’s an album that stands to clearly define a new creative period for Arab Strap.
With the band having recently wrapped up a tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of their 1998 album ‘Philophobia’, this new album feels charged by a desire to move forward and explore new terrain.
“The tour’s been fun, but I’ll be glad it’s over so we can move on,” laughs Middleton, while Moffat echoes him; “The Philophobia gigs have been a way of saying goodbye to the old us,” he says. “It was a very gentle, quiet tour, so I expect this year we’ll just be playing banger after banger – I think we’ve earned the right to make some noise now.”
Arab Strap play Dolans this Thursday September 12.
