SLEAFORD MODS - WEST END GIRLS VINYL (12")

Release Date: 15th December 2023

"Sleaford Mods announce the release of their cover of the Pet Shop Boys’ iconic single ‘West End Girls’, with all profits from the track going to the homeless charity Shelter. The Nottingham duo created a version of the 1986 classic between tours for their latest album ‘UK GRIM’, and then sought the blessing of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe to put out the track. Not only did Sleaford Mods’ ‘West End Girls’ meet with the pair’s approval, but the Pet Shops Boys were inspired to remix the cover, which features as one of the tracks on the single. Hifi Sean has also contributed an Acid House meets Hi-NRG remix for the release, while Sleaford Mods’ own Andrew Fearn has added a heady vocoder-led mix under his solo guise of Extnddntwrk. Clearly apparent from their own minimal approach to music, the Pet Shop Boys have always been an important influence for Sleaford Mods, with Chris and Neil’s ability to merge sophisticated electronics and rich character often serving as a lodestar for the partnership between producer Andrew Fearn and frontman Jason Williamson. This esteem for the Pet Shop Boys can be clearly heard on their take on ‘West End Girls’, although Jason and Andrew have not flinched from creating a version of the song that is truly Sleaford Mods. If the original is a sophisticated exposé of the heartlessness of 1980s Thatcherite Britain while also paying tribute to people’s ability to shine despite living in brutal times, then Sleaford Mods’ have skilfully distressed the shimmering classic with sharp synths and scuffed-up vocals, offering a sense of the resilience now required to survive in our disconnected and dysfunctional days."