The Tubs release new album ‘Hard Life’ on Merge Records

The London-based, Welsh-origin quartet The Tubs has released their third album, ‘Hard Life’, marking their debut with the Merge label. The record follows their previous works, ‘Dead Meat’ and ‘Cotton Crown’.

Singer and songwriter Owen Williams explores a dualistic internal dialogue through the twelve-track album. The songwriting shifts from previous themes of romantic abjection and grief toward a tension between a character prone to self-pity and a more resilient, steelier persona. Musically, the album maintains a guitar-driven rock sound with folk and punk influences, further enriched by the addition of violinist Chris Haigh.

Williams’ lyrical approach utilizes small vignettes to portray everyday degradation with a mix of humor and irony, moving away from literal diary-style writing toward more character-driven narratives.