The Struts have released their long-awaited Big Machine Records debut today. Pretty Vicious is out now on all platforms, alongside an in-studio performance set for The Howard Stern Show, now airing on Howard 101 on SiriusXM and streaming via YouTube. This week the band announced their anticipated return to Australia, taking a support slot on the The River is Rising – Rest of The World Tour ’24 with Slash. The release comes hot on the heels of electric Good Morning America and GMA3 performances, in addition to an exclusive interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe on The Zane Lowe Show.
The Struts have been a live sensation since they first erupted onto the scene with their certified Platinum anthem, “Could’ve Been Me,” taking the No. 5 spot on Alternative Radio and introducing the world to their triumphant, timeless rock sound. Now, the UK juggernauts are back with their fourth album, Pretty Vicious, and for the first time, they’ve transmuted the raucous nature of their live shows into their most concentrated and exciting songs to date. “This record showcases each individual member’s strengths,” lead vocalist Luke Spiller says of their first full-length project with Big Machine Records. “It’s some of my favorite music, hands down, we’ve ever conjured up. It’s the record everyone’s been waiting for.”
Following the release of their critically acclaimed debut, 2016’s Everybody Wants, the British rockers set out on the road, bringing their energetic tracks alive on stage with larger-than-life performances and cementing their reputation as a must-see act. Spiller, guitarist Adam Slack, bassist Jed Elliott, and drummer Gethin Davies have continued to prove themselves worthy of that distinction since first coming together in Derby, England back in 2012, selling out shows across the globe and leaving a trail of unbridled rock collections, including 2018’s Young & Dangerous and 2020’s Strange Days, in their wake. Their on-stage prowess and perpetual musicality have allowed them to reach the No. 1 Spot on Spotify’s Viral Top 50, garner more than 850M on-demand streams, and earn collaborations with Kesha, Tom Morello, Robbie Williams, Def Leppard and more. They’ve also supported the likes of The Rolling Stones, Guns N’ Roses, and Foo Fighters— the latter of which dubbed them “the best opening band we’ve ever had.”
After nearly a decade of releasing music and touring at a breakneck pace, The Struts were finally able to take their time and perfect their sound with Pretty Vicious, co-producing each track with Julian Raymond (Glen Campbell, Cheap Trick, Fleetwood Mac), which was “such a different experience than anything we’ve ever had before,” according to Spiller. Working with Big Machine Label Group chairman and CEO Scott Borchetta also ignited a newfound energy for the band, allowing them to regroup and redefine what The Struts are all about. Borchetta and Raymond emboldened the band’s creativity, giving them the “attention, love, and support,” they needed to expand their sound. “Scott was like, ‘The bottom line is, I just want this band to fucking rock,’” Spiller says. “And that’s what we achieved.”
The sonic result of that achievement is an epic story comprised of 11 high-octane chapters that give listeners a vulnerable and honest look at the rock and roll experience, from the highs and lows to all the late-night chaos and scandalous romance in between. “We’ve never taken a left turn at a chorus, and we’ve always fought for really big hooks,” Spiller says. “But we’ve never been able to quite capture one of the best aspects of this group, and that’s how we sound live. Getting the chance to work up demos in an environment where we can take our time and play as a unit definitely resulted in the four of us feeling and sounding as close to as we do on stage. We like big songs, and it’s an absolutely epic-sounding album.”
Their new era of music kicks off with a surging, sexy, and swaggering summer-ready rock track about getting burnt out on the fumes of the rock and roll lifestyle. Packed with a driving chorus, climbing guitars, amplified percussion, and the cheeky delivery of lines like, “Sex so good make the neighbors smoke a cigarette / but I’m still bored to death, “Too Good at Raising Hell” is the perfect introduction to an album brimming with arena-ready riotous tracks. “It’s a lot of what The Struts are known for,” Spiller says. “We know people out there want us to come back with something raw and fun. It was written about the disenchantment I felt after having a little too much fun. However, it still captures the essence of living an excessive life and all of the glorious moments that come along with it.”
In “Hands On Me,” The Struts spin out a slow-crawling love song about how hard it is to let go of relationships, emotionally and physically. In it, Spiller sings “My body starts to shake / it won’t be long before I break without your hands on me,” over lush orchestration, his vocal yearning matching the growing walls of sound around him. “I just love a good heartbreak song,” he says of the track. “I had all these lyrics written down that were based on a breakup, and I was definitely in my feelings at that moment. As a songwriter, every now and then you come across a title that feels special and I hadn’t heard that phrase used in that way. It’s an earnest song and it’s honest, but it’s clever at the same time.”
The album’s title track, “Pretty Vicious,” opens with Spiller crooning, “When you talk and everybody listens / and you walk and everybody whispers,” in a smoky, sultry tone. “Those lyrics were very instinctual,” he explains. “They aren’t super clever, but they felt right. It’s more about the vocal delivery. That’s what makes it dark and sexy. It’s not overthought. It felt great from the moment we started to write it.” The original demo of the song went viral on TikTok after the band shared it online, going back into the studio to perfect it for the album release. “For me, it’s the best song on the album,” he admits. “It’s something we’ve never done before, and it has this undeniable mood to it. I still go back and listen to it purely for pleasure.”
“Bad Decisions” is one of the most vulnerable moments on the album, written just a few days after Spiller “made some very poor decisions.” “I remember when shit hit the fan and everything blew up in my stupid face,” Spiller says. “I was sitting in a hotel bathroom chain smoking and feeling very bad about what I’d done. I was careless with someone’s emotions, and I hurt quite a few people around me.” He remembers the initial lyrics pouring out of him and wanting to write a Lana Del Rey-esque melody for the chorus. In the song he contemplates, “How many times are my vices going to rule my mind / how many dreams can I burn ‘til I’m out of time” over scorching guitars. “It’s an honest, sincere, and sad moment on the record,” he says. “I think a lot of people have done things in the past they’re not proud of and not too many songs convey that in an earnest way, so I think it’s going to be the soundtrack to a lot of people’s bad decisions.”
Listening back to the album, Spiller hopes that fans will find inspiration in all its depth, creativity, and direct energy. “When I look at bands I love and look up to, every now and then, there’ll be an album they make that creates an entire book’s worth of inspiration you can go to and pick from,” he says. “I really hope this album will inspire a lot of people in the best way. I hope they put it on when they’re sad, and it helps them feel better again, or that they’ll listen to a sadder song that helps them get through it.” He also sees the album as a gift to the band’s fanbase who’ve followed them to this pinnacle in their career. “I sincerely believe they’ve been waiting for this energy and how in-your-face this album is,” he says. “It’s been a long time coming. We’ve made great decisions in our career, and we’ve made some not-so-great decisions, but our fans have stuck beside us. I think they’re going to be excited when they hear this. They’re going to know we finally nailed it.”
