UK artist Cavetown, real name Robin Skinner, has launched his latest album, Running With Scissors, exploring the transition from youth to adulthood through a mix of hyper-pop, heavy guitars, and dream-pop elements. The release coincides with the lead single 'Cryptid,' a track and video addressing transgender experiences amid threats to trans rights. Skinner expresses pride in the album's creative risks and bold process.
Cavetown's new album, Running With Scissors, arrived on January 16, 2026, via Futures Music Group and Virgin Music Group. This emotionally expansive work delves into the disorienting shift between youth and adulthood, blending sonic styles like hyper-pop, heavy guitars, and the artist's signature dream-pop. Each track, Skinner notes, confidently conveys its intended message, striking a delicate balance that he is particularly proud of achieving.
The lead single, 'Cryptid,' accompanies a music video that portrays 'cryptids' living hidden underground in a fearful world, eventually emerging to confront imposed narratives. Centered on Skinner's transgender journey, it highlights threats to trans rights, safety, and visibility. Yet, its scope extends further, reflecting how society has marginalized various communities, including Black, queer, immigrant, and disabled groups, by deeming them 'other.'
'In allowing myself to love,' Skinner said of the track, 'I’ve also allowed myself to feel anger about things I would usually ignore. I hope this feels empowering for people to sing back.' He described the album as something he is 'very, very proud about'—encompassing not only the songs but the entire creative process. 'I really pushed myself to be brave and try new things and welcome new people into my creative process,' he told Rolling Stone AU/NZ. 'And I feel like that comes across in the music, it went through multiple brains before being in its final form. I was really able to let my imagination just like go crazy with this album and let the songs kind of ebb and flow in different directions and take unexpected twists and turns.'
Looking ahead, Cavetown is set for his Australian festival debut at Laneway, followed by headline performances in Sydney and Melbourne. The album is available now, with a full interview slated for next month in Rolling Stone AU/NZ.