We are absolutely floating on top of the world because, today (November 3rd ) we finally get to check out the brilliant new third album “Trying To Be Normal” from Bristol’s (UK) experimental psych-rockers My Octopus Mind, released today, (November 3rd 2023 )to vinyl via Drongo Records.

You can listen to “Trying To Be Normal” on Spotify Here and on Apple Music Here and on Amazon Music Here

My Octopus Mind are a high-energy experimental psych-rock four-piece comprised of drums, guitar, vocals and heavily effected double bass. Since their conception in 2017, the band have developed a wild form of experimental rock, taking a tongue in cheek ride through post-punk swagger and dysfunction, wonky riffs, balkan rhythms and moments of haunting grace.

Their glorious Third album “Trying To Be Normal “ is a brilliant display of the magic and beauty of My Octopus Mind. “Trying To Be Normal” is one of those remarkable albums that touches your mind and soul.

“Trying To Be Normal” was written socially distanced over the course of 2020 and 2021 in a 1920’s theater and recorded over 5 days with Jake Bright at Giant Wafer Studios in rural Wales with mastering from Shawn Joseph at Optimum Mastering (J Dilla, Portishead). Due to multiple lockdowns there was no pressure to gig, affording team Octopus the time and creative freedom to focus solely on the album, which took shape organically through epic (up to 12 hour) jam sessions. It’s a playful collection of fresh post-pandemic material that marks a turning point in the band’s sound. It’s powerful, silly and immediately danceable.

“I came up with the title after a tongue in cheek discussion about making the structures of our songs a bit more approachable. Three or four minute bangers sort of thing. We maybe managed two. Things got out of hand, but the title is still true. We tried”, jokes drummer Oli Cocup.

The album comprises of short, sweet, hard hitting rock bangers, some slightly longer, condensed slabs of prog and post punk, with a cheeky ballad thrown in for good measure featuring vocals from Sang Froid’s Aisling Whiting.

Lyrically “Trying To Be Normal” deals with a lot of heavy subjects; heartbreak, the male identity fusing itself with FEM and rage at rape culture. It’s not without its lighter moments though with nonsensical roleplay as gamblers (High Rollers), thugs (Sabretooth Monkey) and completely inaccurate celebrity critique (Minor Celebrities).

Discussing the creation of the album, the band state: “We spent many years making highly tangential, cerebral music. Soundscapes, non-linear song structures, non-repeating metre sequences. This is our best effort to calm down and hide all that cool indulgent stuff in the margins of the earworms. The writing and recording process was much more collaborative and spontaneous, arising from jams that were recorded and then pulled apart for songs to emerge.

Music is art and art is music , and My Octopus Mind have created an absolute musical masterpiece with “Trying To Be Normal “ Part Picasso Part Frank Zappa 100% brilliant.

MY OCTOPUS MIND ARE:

Liam O’Connell – Guitar, Vocals and Piano
Isaac Ellis – Double Bass, Vocals
Oliver Cocup – Drums, Vocals

Honorary member Jordan Woolgar – Guitar, Synth