New Zealand indie-rock, and Sam Steen Show, favourites The Beths have shared their first new music since the expanded edition of 2022's Expert in a Dying Field, marking their return with a powerful single called Metal.

The release comes alongside the announcement that the band has signed to Anti- Records, a label known for its diverse and genre-defying roster. The Beths also confirmed a major North American and European tour, with dates running well into the year.

Metal arrives with an accompanying video and sees the band diving into more personal territory. Singer and guitarist Elizabeth Stokes describes the track as a reflection on the physical and emotional disconnect that can come with navigating illness or change. “For parts of the last few years, I kind of felt like my body was a vehicle that had carried me pretty well thus far but was breaking down,” she explains. “Something I had little to no control over.”

Despite that, the song carries a sense of awe and curiosity about the human experience. “All of the steps in the Rube Goldberg machine of life are so unlikely, and yet here we are in it,” she continues. “I have a hunger and a curiosity for learning about the world around me, and for learning about myself.”

Lyrically, Metal also touches on the tension between rational thought and harsh self-criticism. Stokes describes the internal voice that undermines moments of confidence or progress  “I can point to my reflection and just be like ‘you are shit.’ Or ‘ugly.’ Or ‘worthless.’” The song’s title references this inner resistance, the “short word” that pushes back against even the idea of moving forward.

As always, The Beths balance the weight of their subject matter with clever songwriting and melodic clarity. Metal is as tightly crafted as anything they’ve released, pairing vulnerability with bright hooks and a quietly urgent sense of momentum.

The Beths will be back in Europe this autumn, with shows confirmed nearby in Brussels on 1 October at Botanique, Cologne on 3 October at Kantine, and Amsterdam on 4 October at Paradiso.

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