5 Seconds of Summer are back for the first time in two years with their new single, “Complete Mess,” from the Australian outfit’s upcoming fifth studio album, which will be released independently in partnership with BMG following the group’s departure from Interscope. The track is accompanied by a surrealist music video directed by Lauren Dunn, with creative direction by Tyler Serebreni.
According to a release, “Complete Mess,” was created during a writing trip in Joshua Tree, Calif. It’s the first song to be entirely written and produced by the band, with lead guitarist Michael Clifford handling production duties. The song was recorded over several sessions at Rancho V in Joshua Tree, Clifford’s own home studio and Dragonfly Creek in Malibu.
“For this record, we realized if you want something done that truly represents how you feel, you’ve got to do it yourselves,” the band said in a statement. “We wanted that expansive sound that we naturally gravitate towards when we play together, so we had to learn how to record that. This new music is so authentically us. It’s exactly the kind of music we want to be making right now and it’s a good song to be able to reconnect to our fans after such a long time of not releasing music. We can’t wait for everyone to hear what we’ve been working on.”
The group’s last album, Calm, arrived in March 2020.
5 Seconds of Summer will kick off a 2022 World Tour this summer, with the North American run beginning June 11 in Vancouver, BC, before wrapping in St. Louis, Mo. on July 24. Tickets are available now.
Taylor Swift believes Nashville has a music scene that stands apart from anywhere else.
The 36 year old singer moved to Nashville, Tennessee, when she was young to chase her dream of becoming a country music star. After being inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame on Monday (26.10.26), Taylor took the opportunity to recognise the city and the talented writers who have helped shape its music scene.
In her acceptance speech, Taylor said: "I believe you really get to master a craft by doing it again and again. That's exactly what the incredible songwriters in this wonderful town do every day."
Taylor also spoke about what makes Nashville such a special place for musicians.
The award winning singer, who ranks among the best selling music artists of all time, said: "You won't find another music community quite like this one. Trust me, I've checked them all."
Taylor also shared how being part of Nashville's songwriting scene had taught her valuable lessons about life and working with others.
She joked: "I've learned to be flexible when your co writer turns up with a hangover, or when they need to spend ages talking about their divorce before we can even get started on a song."
Taylor previously spoke about how Faith Hill and Shania Twain inspired her decision to move to Nashville.
Speaking to Time magazine, the singer said: "I couldn't get enough of watching TV biographies about Faith Hill and Shania Twain, and I realised they had both moved to Nashville to get their careers started. After that, I kept asking, pleading and begging my parents to take me there.
"When I was 11, my mum took my brother and me to Nashville during spring break, and we spent the trip driving around Music Row. She stayed in the car while I rushed into record companies one after another, giving my demo CD to the receptionists. I found it fascinating that so many major record labels were gathered along a single street, often inside little buildings and old houses.
"What really stayed with me was how welcoming people were to newcomers and complete strangers like us. We started visiting Nashville more often, and when I was 13, I received an offer for a development deal from a major record label. That was when my parents finally agreed to leave Pennsylvania and move with me."
