Sleaford Mods will release their new album, The Demise Of Planet X, tomorrow, 16 January 2026 via Rough Trade Records / Remote Control Records. Andrew Fearn and Jason Williamson’s most expansive and ambitious release to date, the album features a rare guest appearance from former Life Without Buildings frontwoman Sue Tompkins, plus collaborations with Aldous Harding, soul singer Liam Bailey and grime MC Snowy, the latter two both hailing from band’s hometown Nottingham.
The duo will also return to Australian and New Zealand shores in April 2026, playing shows in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Wellington and Auckland. Tickets are on sale now via https://www.handsometours.com/tours/sleaford-mods-2026/.
Sleaford Mods frontman Jason Williamson speaks with Australian Musician in a wide-ranging, characteristically blunt conversation that touches on the band’s new album (Demise of Planet X-out January 16), creativity, collaboration, touring, politics and his relationship with Australia.
Relaxed and humorous from the outset, Williamson paints a grounded picture of life offstage, balancing family responsibilities with the all-consuming nature of making music. The interview centres on Demise of Planet X, Sleaford Mods’ new album, released on January 16. Williamson explains that the album’s opening moment, the striking laugh that kicks off “Good Life”, which belongs to actor Gwendoline Christie, who also features later on the track. Captured organically during her studio session, the laugh was too powerful to ignore and became the perfect way to set the tone for the record. For Williamson, beginnings matter, and that laugh immediately signals the album’s mix of absurdity, intensity and bite.
Discussing the band’s creative process, Williamson says there is no fixed formula for how Sleaford Mods songs begin. Sometimes the music arrives first from Andrew Fearn, other times the words come independently, and often both develop simultaneously. Lyrics, he admits, can be a painful process. He frequently revisits and edits them, aware that lines don’t always hold up over time. Yet much of Demise of Planet X was written spontaneously, often leaning into gibberish and absurdism as a way to unlock ideas quickly and keep momentum moving.
Williamson’s songwriting is inseparable from everyday life. He says he never really switches off, constantly absorbing the world around him and translating it into language. That intensity extends to how he engages with the news. Rather than consuming it obsessively, he approaches it cautiously, aware of how overwhelming and distressing it can be, and conscious of how little control he has over most of it. Despite this, he maintains a belief that most people are fundamentally good, a perspective that quietly underpins much of his worldview.
The album features several notable collaborators. Williamson recounts meeting Aldous Harding at a Tasmanian festival in 2020 and forming an ongoing creative connection. After contributing to Harding’s album ‘Warm Chris’, he was keen to return the favour, inviting her to sing on “Elitist G.O.A.T.” when he realised the vocal part didn’t suit his own voice. Another guest, Sue Tompkins of cult band Life Without Buildings, appears on “No Touch”, a collaboration suggested by Rough Trade’s Jeannette Lee and embraced after Williamson and Fearn discovered Tompkins’ distinctive style.
Track titles, Williamson explains, don’t always reflect lyrical content. “Don Draper”, named after the Mad Men character, isn’t about the show itself but about the kind of presence and energy the name evokes, reminding him of people he grew up around. In contrast, the title track “Demise of Planet X” is central to the album’s identity. Williamson describes it as a commentary on the exhausting, repetitive non-event of modern life – a world stuck in cycles of overwork, consumption and detachment, where people feel both overwhelmed and numb. The title felt powerful enough to define the entire record, building on themes explored on the band’s previous album, UK Grim.
Recording, Williamson admits, is both absorbing and terrifying. While he ultimately enjoys the process, it demands total focus and makes maintaining everyday life difficult. Still, the intensity is part of what makes it worthwhile. With 16 tracks recorded, three will see release after the album, extending the project’s lifespan.
Looking ahead, Sleaford Mods return to Australia in April, with the new album heavily represented in the live set alongside material from across their catalogue. Williamson speaks warmly about Australia, describing his love for the country’s atmosphere, smell and sense of place, and how it has become less distant and more familiar with each visit. Onstage, the band remains committed to their stripped-back ethos of just Williamson and Fearn, despite the challenges of filling space and performing songs with guest vocals. He finds appeal in the rawness of the setup, even if it “looks terrible” to some, noting that an expanded lighting show has helped as audiences have grown.
The conversation also touches on Williamson’s evolving relationship with the media. He acknowledges that he now censors himself more than he once did, choosing subtlety over calling out specific bands and feeling generally more mellow with age. While easily irritated, he prefers suggestion over confrontation. On the broader question of music as a force for social change, Williamson is sceptical. He sees music as capable of sparking conversations and narratives, but not of delivering lasting, practical change once the spotlight moves on.
Asked what he would change in the UK, Williamson avoids grand gestures, instead pointing to the need for better support systems for those on low wages, particularly around mental health, food, shelter and basic care for society’s most vulnerable. When it comes to releasing new music, his hopes are modest but sincere: that people enjoy the album, continue to see Sleaford Mods as an interesting band, and perhaps feel inspired by what they hear.
Reflecting on his career, Williamson says his greatest pride lies simply in having got anywhere at all. Music, he says, is brutally hard work, and survival requires constant effort and vigilance. As for the future, his plans are straightforward, keep going, stay grounded, support his family and remain afloat. For Williamson, that realism, paired with sharp observation and uncompromising honesty, remains at the heart of Sleaford Mods’ enduring appeal.
Sleaford Mods 2026 Australian & New Zealand Tour
Saturday Apr 11, 2026 – Perth FAC Front Lawn [tickets]
Tuesday Apr 14, 2026 – Melbourne Forum [tickets]
Friday Apr 17, 2026 – Sydney Enmore Theatre [tickets]
Sunday Apr 19, 2026 – Adelaide Hindley St Music Hall [tickets]
Tuesday Apr 21, 2026 – Brisbane Tivoli [tickets]
Thursday Apr 23, 2026 – Wellington Meow Nui [tickets]
Saturday Apr 25, 2026 – Auckland Powerstation [tickets]
Sleaford Mods will release their new album, The Demise Of Planet X, on 16 January 2026 via Rough Trade Records / Remote Control Records.