Comprised of vocalist Katie Ball, guitarists David Noonan (also backing vocals) and Mete Kalyon, bassist Rob Clarke and drummer Shane Maguire, Just Mustard have been steadily building a reputation as one of Ireland’s most thrilling new bands – live and on record – since forming in 2016.

The Dundalk band’s heady blend of noise, trip hop and electronic influenced music earned their debut album ‘Wednesday’ huge acclaim in their native Ireland in 2018 – including a Choice Music Prize nomination for Irish Album of the Year. NME dubbed their debut “a two-toned masterpiece” and the Irish Independent described it as “a swirling atmosphere-heavy thrill-ride”. Earlier this year, the band made their first major strides internationally with the AA side ‘Frank//October’, gathering acclaim outside of Ireland; KEXP made ‘Frank’ their ‘Song Of The Day’, BBC Radio 1 named it ‘Tune Of The Week’, The FADER offered up the premiere of the song’s video and ‘October’ drew the acclaim of Stereogum.

This momentum carried through to live, with the band supporting Fontaines DC on their sold out UK tour, emerging as a ‘band of the weekend’ at Brighton’s Great Escape Festival and coming out of Primavera as one of the “12 best acts” according to NME. Just Mustard were handpicked by Robert Smith to support The Cure at Malahide Castle and their electrifying live show also earned them bookings across leading summer festivals Green Man and Electric Picnic. In 2022 they received a rapturous response at SXSW, sold out most dates on their headline UK/EU tour and supported Fontaines DC on their US run. They’ve since supported Wolf Alice, Alt J, Liam Gallagher and Depeche Mode.

Heart Under’, Just Mustard’s second album and first for Partisan Records came out in 2022. While ‘Wednesday’ and subsequent singles pushed Just Mustard away from fitting snugly into the shoegaze category they once occupied, ‘Heart Under’ makes them stand alone as a band that sound like no other. Across its 10 tracks, the album presents a coherent style and ethos –those scything guitars, Katie’s magical vocals –but still incorporates a wide and untethered vision. There are brooding, atmospheric rock songs (‘Still’, ‘In Shade’) and others that apply a lighter, dreamier touch (‘Sore’, ‘Mirrors’), all tied together with impeccable instrumentation and a united vision.
Though written in the depths of 2020, ‘Heart Under’ is a personal document of a time that doesn’t comment on realities of the outside world. “I always write about what’s going on inside my head rather than anyone else’s,” Katie says. “We all use music to escape, and it’s good to have a break from life with music.”An album not categorisable by genre or era, ‘Heart Under’ is a guitar album with guitars that don’t sound like guitars, an album that stretches traditional frameworks to make a thrillingly unique sound, and an album like little else you’ll ever hear.
In 2023, the band continued wowing live crowds while supporting The Cure on their South American run.
PRESS FOR JUST MUSTARD
“Just Mustard have said they wanted their second album, Heart Under, to make the listener feel like they are driving through a tunnel with the windows down. And on this noisy, wonderfully chaotic record, the band seems to have nailed it” – The Telegraph
“Rather than holding up a torch, Heart Under adjusts your eyes to the pitch black.” – Pitchfork