Dragon Welding | 'Hiding Things For Fun' : video by electronics meets noise-pop duo | from new album 'The Naughty Step' out now

co-founder of indie noise-pop legends The Wolfhounds. 'The Naughty Step’ is the fourth album by his electronics meets noise-pop group, but the first to feature new vocalist Nik Cockshott. Issued in late February, its deluxe gatefold vinyl and CD formats have been made available for purchase on Bandcamp HERE from today (28th March).

A new video can be viewed for the ruminative album track ‘Hiding Things For Fun’ VIDEO, with Golding stating that the song is “on one level about losing ideals as we get older. I try not to 'make do' if I can see a way of sticking to the right path. On another level, losing things deliberately is something I am often accused of. The trick in life is to find a partner who is as good at finding things as you are at mislaying them.” He adds that it is also “a Gen X anthem that dreams of being played live to an auditorium full of ghosts, each holding aloft a misplaced cigarette lighter."

As for 'The Naughty Step' as a whole, he continues: “its theme is me trying to deal with problems that I’ve never quite resolved in my mind, while new problems appear simultaneously. It’s neverending, so I will continue to write songs until I stop caring.”

The album includes the singles ‘Up And Away’ VIDEO and ‘We Dance Among You’ VIDEO, while its release in late February was accompanied by a stunning 'stop-start' animated clip for the title song by Award winning graphic artist Andy Royston VIDEO. Royston also designed the album cover artwork.

Dragon Welding issued an eclectic eponymous debut album in 2019, followed by the all-instrumental 'Lights Behind The Eyes’ (2021) and ‘Fictionary’ (2023). Encompassing all that had gone before while also looking firmly forwards, the last of these included 'The Dark' (feat. Anthony Chapman of Collapsed Lung) and 'An Angel Not Of This Earth' (feat. Alice Golding of labelmates The Othyrs), both hits in a parallel universe and displaying the prowess of a group that has never stood still.

Following a live show in 2023 where a last minute replacement vocalist had been required, Nik Cockshott (formerly of ‘90s leftfield indie rockers The Spores and The Keatons) joined Golding and the duo immediately began working in a more consistently song focused direction. 'The Naughty Step' was recorded before Cockshott emigrated from London to Manchester, since when they have continued worked together remotely. Further fruits of their endeavours have included the recent single 'These Are Dangerous Times', a radical reworking of the very first Dragon Welding release from 2019 that neatly marked the full circle rebirth of the group.

With a consistent voice and solid focus on idiosyncratic and at times downright dark electronic backing, augmented by an increasing plethora of obtuse instrumentation topped by unpretentious ecologically and socially aware lyrics, this incarnation of Dragon Welding is now ready to exceed all expectations.