THE MYSTERINES confront their fears and explore new sonic territories in 'Afraid Of Tomorrows', proving they're not afraid to keep surprising themselves and their fans. Check out our latest Dork Mixtape cover feature.

Words: Finlay Holden.
Photos: Steve Gullick.

As far as Merseyside rock groups go in the 2020s, The Mysterines are at the top of the game. Having stormed into the Official Albums Chart Top 10 with 2022's ferocious debut LP 'Reeling' and toured all over the world - including a huge stadium run with the one and only Arctic Monkeys - the four-piece are carrying a huge amount of momentum into their new project, 'Afraid Of Tomorrows'. So, what is there to be scared of?

Vocalist Lia Metcalfe takes a moment to reflect before resigning, "Where do we even begin?" Across 12 diverse tracks, this paranoia-drenched second record diverts away from solely releasing pent-up energy as per their earlier efforts and instead is a more measured approach focused on a desired form of output. "We had a better idea of how we wanted it to sound going in that we had before," Lia says, "because there was more of a conscious effort to make this album sound more true to us."

Considering the undeniable appeal of their breakthrough effort, it would've been all too easy to hone in on that raw and relentless tone, but guitarist Callum Thompson asserts that all good bands should aim to curate a varied discography. "You look at people who try one-upping themselves in the same and it's usually better when they weren't overthinking it. We're different people from who we were a few years ago. We've been introduced to new films, art, music; that moulds who you become. It's a journey we all go through together."