Australian trio Methyl Ethel are the latest addition to the 4AD roster.  Their crepuscular debut album, Oh Inhuman Spectacle, is out now, with CD and LP formats released in May.  The official video for album opener ‘Idée Fixe’ has also launched online today, directed by Olivier Groulx (Scott Walker, Alt-J, Arcade Fire) - you can watch via the 4AD YouTube channel here, or in the player below.

Hailing from the remote fringes of Perth, Western Australia, linchpin Jake Webb started Methyl Ethel in 2013 as a way of getting his bedroom recordings out in the public domain.  The assonant moniker takes its name from the chemical compound Webb’s father uses to make fibre-glass – methyl ethyl ketone peroxide.  It was under this pseudonym multi-instrumentalist Webb released the early EP diptych Guts and Teeth.

Like 4AD peers Grimes and Bradford Cox, Webb wrote, played and recorded everything on Oh Inhuman Spectacle.  Crafted in isolation its understated psychedelic pop quickly drew positive plaudits from local media, leading Webb to recruit Chris Wright (drums) and Thom Stewart (bass) – friends from the tight-knit and thriving music scene in Perth – to realise the songs live as a fully-fledged band.

With Oh Inhuman Spectacle given a national release by local label Dot Dash Recordings, Methyl Ethel’s impact on home soil has been palpable.  The trio has grown into a must-see live act and shortlisted for the Australian Music Prize alongside Courtney Barnett and fellow Perth act Tame Impala.  Now, having joined 4AD, Methyl Ethel have the opportunity to take their music to a greater audience.

Next month the trio will play SXSW in Austin, TX whilst Methyl Ethel will also play their first UK and European shows in May.  A full list of dates can be found below.  Further ticket information can be found on the band’s official site.

Oh Inhuman Spectacle is out now: iTunes | Amazon | Spotify | Apple Music 
CD and LP versions available in May. Pre-order details to follow soon.

Find Methyl Ethel online:
Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Methyl Ethel - Oh Inhuman Spectacle
CAD3641
1. Idée Fixe
2. Shadowboxing
3. Rogues
4. To Swim
5. Twilight Driving
6. Depth Perception
7. Unbalancing Acts
8. Also Gesellschaft
9. Obscura
10. Artificial Limb
11. Sweet Waste
12. Everything Is As It Should Be

March
10th – Baby’s Alright, Brooklyn NY, US
12th – Levitation Chicago @ Thalia Hall, Chicago IL , US 
15th - 18th – SXSW, Austin TX, US
19th – Heatwave @ Paper Tiger, San Antonio TX, US
22nd – Lost Lake Lounge, Denver CO, US
23rd – Kilby Court, Salt Lake City UT, US
24th – Treefort Festival, Boise ID, US
25th – Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco CA, US
28th – School Night at Bardot, Los Angeles CA, US
30th – Barboza, Seattle WA, US

April
14th – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne, Australia
15th – Jive, Adelaide, Australia
22nd – The Rosemount, Perth, Australia
30th –  Plan B, Sydney, Australia

May
17th – Shacklewell Arms, London, UK
19th - 21st – The Great Escape, Brighton, UK
23rd – Old Blue Last, London, UK
25th – La Fleche D’Or, Paris, France
26th – Merleyn, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
28th – London Calling, Amsterdam, The Netherlands