Just Mustard

A pollyanna is defined as an excessively cheerful or optimistic person. For it to be the title and

inspiration of the opening track and lead single from Just Mustard’s third album, WE WERE

JUST HERE, signals a Damascene moment for the Dundalk five-piece. Across their first two

albums – 2018’s Wednesday and Partisan Records debut Heart Under from 2022 – the Irish

band had become masters at creating haunting noise rock, Katie Ball’s bewitching vocals

swirling amongst the sounds like smoke.

Heart Under, defined by a maelstrom of dark industrial noise and dreamy textures, explored

themes of grief and longing, with imagery of being submerged deep underwater and gasping for

air. On the remarkable WE WERE JUST HERE, the band reemerges, leaning towards the light

and the rush of euphoria.