kula shaker
KULA SHAKER always existed in an alternate reality. Emerging in the midst of Britpop’s lad-culture swagger and retrograde cool, they appeared like a luminous anomaly — flooded with Sanskrit and sitar-drenched feedback as they became one of Britain’s most exhilarating live bands. Fronted by the spiritually restless Crispian Mills, the band carved out their own mystical counter-narrative, fusing British psychedelia and eastern mysticism that felt less like a gimmick and more like an invocation. Phenomenal success soon followed. How many other artists can claim to have actually headlined Glastonbury twice in the same weekend? Scored one of the fastest selling double-Platinum debuts of all time, a run of Top 10 singles, and opened for Oasis at their era-defining Knebworth shows?
Now Kula Shaker are set to prove that they’re back at the top of their creative game with the news that they will release their eighth album WORMSLAYER on January 30, 2026. Still consisting of their original line-up – best friends Crispian Mills (vocals/guitar), Alonza Bevan (bass), Paul Winterhart (drums) and Jay Darlington (Hammond organ) – Kula Shaker fuel anticipation for the record by sharing its new single “Good Money.”
“Good Money” is a kaleidoscopic whirlpool of ‘60s psychedelia, sumptuous soul and retro-freakery funk. The video looks set to make as much of a splash as the song itself.
As Crispian explains, “Our last video was all in camera, real stunts, real props and epic battle scenes which people assumed was all AI. So we’ve taken a different approach with ‘Good Money.’ The whole video is entirely AI generated by two monkeys, we gave them the song and the lyrics and this is what they came up with. It’s kind of mind blowing.”
Lyrically, however,”Good Money” is a story of a classic Faustian pact and part of a broader psychedelic opera that emerges throughout the wider record. As Crispian describes the piece, “It’s a story about a boy in a small community, who grows wings and how the local people come to treat him. Some think he’s a freak, some think he’s a cherub, others cynically see him as an opportunity to make money…. Is it a metaphor for the music business? I’d say it’s a metaphor for life.
About The Author
