Electronic duo Boy Harsher have officially announced their highly anticipated new album, Get Mean, accompanied by the release of their latest hypnotic single, ‘Hard Beat’.
- READ MORE: Boy Harsher – ‘The Runner (Original Soundtrack)’ review: electropop as sharp as a blade
The upcoming record is scheduled for release on September 18 via Atlantic. It marks the duo's first full-length studio album since 2019’s Country Girl Uncut and follows their critically acclaimed 2022 soundtrack for the film The Runner.
Across the 12-track collection, Jae Matthews and Augustus Muller explore profound themes of grief, heartbreak, loss, and survival. The project serves as a sonic document of navigating a painful chapter and emerging with newfound strength. The album also features the previously released single ‘Jeans’.
‘Hard Beat’ showcases the band's signature sound, blending thumping synths with haunting vocal performances. The track tackles complex subjects such as surveillance, deviance, and trauma. It arrives alongside a striking music video directed by the duo in collaboration with cinematographer Owen Smith-Clark.
“Take the wheel and lost control/ trust me once/ let’s make it real,” Matthews sings, driving the track toward its unsettling, intoxicating chorus.
The creative process for Get Mean began in early 2024, a period marked by significant personal transition as Matthews and Muller ended their romantic relationship. This period of reflection allowed them to process past turmoil and creative blocks, ultimately leading to a refreshed artistic outlook for the band.
While their previous work was defined by classical synth textures and soul-bearing lyrics, Get Mean introduces a broader sonic palette. The duo incorporates detuned pads, new romantic guitar textures, and subtle pop inflections. Matthews describes the result as a reflection of “what I had to give during the most extreme period of my life.”
The ‘Get Mean’ tracklist is:
1. ‘Ronny’
2. ‘Jeans’
3. ‘Break Me’
4. ‘Tough Luck (When You Don’t Call)’
5. ‘Faulty’
6. ‘Coming Home’
7. ‘Hard Beat’
8. ‘Ice Pick (Walk Away)’
9. ‘Ivy’s Spiral’
10. ‘Pray 4 Me’
11. ‘Falling ~’
12. ‘Bleed’
Following the album's release, Boy Harsher will embark on a North American headline tour. The run of shows begins in Hudson on September 25, with subsequent stops in Montreal, Chicago, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and New Orleans throughout the autumn. Beyond their musical output, the duo is currently developing a debut feature film titled The Lonely Woman, which is set to star Chloë Sevigny, FKA twigs, and Sturgill Simpson.