Canadian post-punks Preoccupations have a new album called Ill at Ease arriving next month and today they’ve shared the title track, with vocalist Matt Flegel saying:
“I was trying to convey the feeling of waking up, but not being able to shake the uncomfortable suspicion that you might still be dreaming. It’s also about making amends with the fact that you might never feel comfortable in your own skin, and finding solace in the fact that some things can’t be changed.”
Led by a simple but strong backbeat, “Ill at Ease” finds the quartet harnessing some of their janglier tones to underscore the creeping discomfort being portrayed in the Flegel’s words. However, this isn’t an enturely dark number, there are flickers of life around the edges that seem to pull them onwards through the gloom. This comes to a head with a combusting guitar solo as “Ill at Ease” dives into its final furlong, which sets Preoccupations driving onwards to the song’s climax with a determination that is anthemic in its defiance.
Watch the video for “Ill at Ease” below or find the song on streamers.
Preoccupations’ new album Ill at ease comes out on 9 May through Born Losers Records. You can find them on Facebook and Instagram.
You can catch them at these live dates:
05/11/25 – Birmingham, UK – Hare & Hound
05/13/25 – London, UK – The Garage
05/14/25 – Bristol, UK – Strange Brew
05/15/25 – Brighton, UK – The Hope & Ruin
05/16/25 – Manchester, UK – YES
05/17/25 – Leeds, UK – Brudenell Social Club
05/18/25 – Glasgow, UK – Room 2
05/22/25 Montréal, QC – Bar Le Ritz PDB
05/23/25 Ottawa, ON – The 27 Club
05/24/25 Toronto, ON – Lee’s Palace
05/27/25 Detroit, MI – Lager House
05/31/25 Chicago, IL – The Empty Bottle
06/01/25 Minneapolis, MN – 7th St Entry
06/04/25 Calgary, AB – Commonwealth
06/06/25 Vancouver, BC – Wise Hall
06/07/25 Seattle, WA – Madame Lou’s
06/08/25 Portland, OR – Polaris Hall
06/10/25 San Francisco, CA – Rickshaw Stop
06/12/25 Los Angeles, CA – Lodge Room
06/13/25 San Diego, CA – Casbah
06/17/25 Austin, TX – Parish
06/18/25 Denton, TX – Rubber Gloves
06/20/25 Nashville, TN – The Blue Room-Third Man Records
06/21/25 Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade(Purgatory)
06/22/25 Raleigh, NC – Kings
06/24/25 Washington, DC – Songbyrd Record Cafe
06/25/25 Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s
06/27/25 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
06/29/25 Cambridge, MA – Middle East Upstairs
09/14/25 Amsterdam, NL – Tolhuistuin
09/15/25 Lille, FR – L’Aeroneff
09/16/25 Le Havre, FR – Le Tetris
09/17/25 Paris, FR – Petit Bain
09/18/25 Antwerp, BE – TRIX
09/19/25 Nijmegen, NL -Doornroosje
09/21 Rotterdam, NL – Rotown
09/23/25 Cologne, DE – Blue Shell
09/24/25 Hamburg, DE – Hafenklang
09/25/25 Berlin, DE – Neue Zukunft
09/26 Prague, CZ – Palác Akropolis
09/27/25 Munich, DE – Strom
09/28/25 Vienna, AT – B72
09/30/25 Sofia, BG – Stroeja
10/01/25 – Athens, GR – AUX
10/02/25 – Bucharest, ROM – Control Club
10/04/25 – Bratislava Nova, SK – Cvernovka
10/07/25 – Roma, IT – MONK
10/08/25 – Turin, IT – sPAZIO211
10/09/25 – Bologna, IT – Locomotiv Club
