Photo by Ian Gardner
Riding high from support slots opening for Busted and an upcoming UK tour with Iglu & Hartly, Manchester quartet Muddy Elephant return with ‘Stay Toxic’. The buoyant energy of the single is apparent from the first moment, with a chant callout over clapped rhythm. This punchy charm continues with indie pop glow as synths get introduced alongside tight drums and vibrant guitar riffs.
There’s a confidence and showmanship in the performance of these bouncy lines that makes the new track light up the room with colour. Shiny and pulsing, it’s built to be screamed back at the stage in a festival crowd, harnessing a youthful restlessness and recklessness.
They add, “The song humorously nods to those moments when we knowingly do something a little off—mischievous, indulgent or delightfully ‘toxic’ in the everyday sense. There’s no guilt trip here, just a wink at our more impulsive selves.
Stay Toxic is less about moralising and more about embracing our flaws with a grin. It’s a jaunty anthem for anyone who’s ever made a small mess and said, ‘Well, that’s me’. We wanted to turn self‑awareness into an earworm and toxicity into a comfort zone.”
Turning heads across BBC Introducing and other radio slots, appearing in Apple’s New In Alternative playlist and ticking off The Darkness and The Hunna amongst their other support slots, the band a causing a bit of trouble with a playful attitude.
Listen to ‘Stay Toxic’:
