Bob Mould Shares New Song “What Do You Want Me To Do,” Plus Behind-the-Scenes Studio Footage
Mould has never allowed cameras into the studio before
Photo by Alicia J Rose Music News Bob Mould
Bob Mould has released “What Do You Want Me To Do,” the second single off his forthcoming album Sunshine Rock, out Feb. 8, 2019, via Merge. In addition, Mould has also shared behind-the-scenes footage of his time in the studio recording the album, a first for the artist.
“What Do You Want Me To Do” is pretty standard modern-rock radio fare, a little more crunch-heavy than vintage Mould, but with the same major-key harmonizing that was all over his work in the ‘90s. Mould describes the song as “a quick take on shaky relationships, coincidental debauchery and the emptiness that typically follows such follies.” Quick indeed—the song is over in just over two minutes.
More surprising, however, is the studio session footage for Sunshine Rock. The short film follows Mould and his band recording at Tiny Telephone in Oakland while they record the forthcoming album. “The recording studio is a sacred and fragile place, and I’ve always been protective of the environment,” he explains in a statement. “While producing other bands, I’ve seen how easy it is for someone or something to change or upset the vibe of a session.
“Maybe it was summoning the confidence to break my decades-long rule,” he continues. “Maybe it was the collective comfort level of the band, maybe it was the tick tick ticking of the master clock on the wall—but I’m glad we captured a few hours of performance and interview.”
Mould will be touring in support of Sunshine Rock in 2019, and will be joined by Titus Andronicus and Screaming Females. Find a full list of those dates further down.
Listen to “What Do You Want Me To Do” and check out the Sunshine Rock session footage below, along with a 1999 performance from the Paste archives. You can preorder Sunshine Rock right here.
Bob Mould Tour Dates:
February
14 – Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club *
15 – Philadelphia, Pa. @ Union Transfer *
16 – Boston, Mass. @ Paradise Rock Club +
18 – Toronto, Ont. @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
19 – Pittsburgh, Pa. @ Mr. Smalls
21 – New York, N.Y. @ Brooklyn Steel *
22 – Chicago, Ill. @ Metro
23 – Chicago, Ill. @ Metro
25 – Ft. Collins, Colo. @ Washington’s
26 – Denver, Colo. @ Gothic Theatre
March
01 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ Teragram Ballroom >
02 – San Francisco, Calif. @ The Fillmore
08 – Hamburg, Germany @ Gruenspan
09 – Berlin, Germany @ Columbia Theater
11 – Düsseldorf, Germany @ Zakk
12 – Leuven, Belgium @ Het Depot
14 – London, U.K. @ Electric Ballroom
15 – Leeds, U.K. @ Brudenell Social Club
16 – Edinburg, U.K. @ The Liquid Rooms
17 – Manchester, U.K. @ Academy 2 Manchester
30 – Minneapolis, Minn. @ The Palace
31 – St. Paul, Minn. @ Turf Club
April
02 – Dallas, Texas @ Granada &
03 – Austin, Texas @ Mohawk &
05 – Portland, Ore. @ Wonder Ballroom
06 – Seattle, Wash. @ Neumos
07 – Vancouver, B.C. @ Rickshaw
(* w/ Titus Andronicus)
(+ w/ Screaming Females)
(> w/ Criminal Hygiene)
(& w/ Will Johnson of Centro-matic)