Mandy, Indiana have unveiled 'Cursive', a collaborative techno track from their upcoming second album 'Urgh', set for release on February 6. The single marks a step into uncharted territory for the Manchester-via-Berlin four-piece, built from rhythmic sketches and bass sequences by band members. Synth player Simon Catling described it as the group's most collaborative effort to date.
The release of 'Cursive' follows the lead single 'Magazine', shared in November, and opens with intense percussion before vocalist Valentine Caulfield layers her vocals over interlocking rhythms that drive relentlessly forward.
Catling explained the track's creation: “Whilst Scott [Fair, guitarist and producer] and Valentine often offer the initial impetus behind most of our songs, ‘Cursive’ was built up from a number of Alex’s [Macdougall, drummer] rhythmic sketches and my bass sequence. Valentine added her vocals later and Scott worked to sculpt these elements together. It was exciting having everyone bring their own ideas to the table from the off, throwing them together and seeing what could come out of it — a bit of a step into the unknown for us as a band.”
'Urgh' involves all four members in songwriting, produced by Fair alongside Gilla Band bassist Daniel Fox. The album was written during a residency at a studio house on the outskirts of Leeds and recorded in Berlin and Manchester, a period when Caulfield and Macdougall underwent multiple surgeries. This shaped Caulfield's lyrics, addressing “sexual assault, systemic indifference and the omnipresence of pain,” blending personal reflection with global concerns.
NME has hailed 'Urgh'—the band's first for Sacred Bones—as one of 2026's most anticipated releases, noting its intense clatter and howls alongside moments of melody that form a “boundaryless force.” Their 2023 debut 'I’ve Seen A Way' was praised for its experimental post-punk urgency.
Ahead of the album, Mandy, Indiana will support Machine Girl—though dates list Machine Head—at Manchester’s O2 Ritz on January 31. Post-release, they have UK dates in London (March 25), Leeds (27), and Glasgow (28), followed by European shows in Dunkirk, Paris, Cologne, Copenhagen, Berlin, Hamburg, Tilburg, and Rotterdam in April.
