M(h)aol
5-piece M(h)aol share new single Asking For It and announce their debut album Attachment Styles due 3rd February 2023 via TULLE Collective.
Photography Credit: Naomi Williams
The first song ever to be written by singer Róisín to try and process some of her experiences and feelings around rape culture, commenting on the track Róisín explains: “I wrote it initially in 2016 then revisited it in 2020. I was shocked by how much internalised victim blaming there was in the lyrics. I rewrote it, then we recorded it and it was released to raise money for Women's Aid in 2021. The album version is a lot angrier than the 2021 one and almost satirical insofar as it's highlighting how ludicrous the notion of anyone 'asking for it' is.”
The video directed by bassist Zoë with added input from Róisín, it’s as raw and vulnerable as the song itself. So many times the subject matter has been treated with a complete lack of respect for how triggering, traumatic and long lasting an event like this can be for a victim, and here the band wanted to highlight the resources and services that are available. Here Zoë says, “This has been the most difficult video I’ve made for M(h)aol to date. There’s so much power and emotion in Róisín’s lyrics and performance, so we worked really hard to create a responsible and sensitive portrayal of this experience she’s conveying, do it justice and make people care.”
While Róisín adds: “I think lots of media and cultural depictions of r*pe can be retraumatising. We wanted the video to be cathartic rather than traumatising. We both wanted to offer resources and highlight services that are available to survivors. The quotes in the video highlight the change in the song too, over the years it became a much more hopeful one.”
Zoë finishes by saying, “I hope watching the video inspires compassion and empathy in people. I think it’s important to open channels of communication around sexual assault in a way that validates a victims traumatic experience and shows a path towards a more hopeful and supportive healing journey. I think empathy is paramount in trying to build a better world."
LIVE DATES
2022
November 12th | Reims, France | La Cartonnerie*
November 13th | Lyon, France | Le Marche Gare*
November 15th | Zurich, Switzerland | Bogen F*
November 16th | Milan, Italy | Biko*
November 17th | Munich, Germany | Storm*
November 19th | Berlin, Germany | Lido*
November 21st | Copenhagen, Denmark | Loppen*
November 22nd | Hamburg, Germany | Knust*
November 24th | Cologne, Germany | Artheater*
November, 25th | Rotterdam, Netherlands | Maassilo*
November, 26th | Paris, France | La Gaîté Lyrique*
December 9th | Dublin, Ireland | National Stadium*
December 15th | Belfast, Ireland | The Empire*
* opening for Gilla Band
2023
January 31st | Birkenhead, UK | Future Yard^
February 1st | Manchester, UK | YES (Basement)^ SOLD OUT
February 4th | Brighton, UK | Komedia Studio^ SOLD OUT
February 5th | Bristol, UK | Strange Brew^
March 15th - 20th | SXSW, Austin
May 19th | Newcastle, UK | Bobiks
May 20th | Glasgow, UK | The Hug and Pint
May 22nd | Leeds, UK | Hyde Park Book Club
May 23rd | Manchester, UK | YES (Pink Room)
May 25th | London, UK | Boston Music Room
May 26th | Brighton, UK | The Hope & Ruin
^Independent Venue Week
Tickets available https://tix.to/Mhaol-Live
