'It Puts A Big F***ing Smile On My Face': Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Drop New Single 'Frogs'

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds have shared another taste of their forthcoming album, Wild God, with the “exuberant” new single, Frogs.

A bouncy, almost chill song you can space out to; the lyrics remain mystical and unusual as ever. With the way the swings swell, you can understand why the song’s arrangement led Cave to describe the song the way he does.

The song is filled with religious imagery, with Cave referencing Cain’s slaying of Abel straight off the bat: “Ushering in the week he knelt down/ Crushed his brother's head in with a bone/ It's my great privilege to walk you home”.

Later, he reserves a mention for country music legend Kris Kristofferson, singing, “It's Sunday morning, and I'm holding your hand/ Frogmarching us home to a bed made of tears/ Kris Kristofferson walks by kicking a can/ In a shirt he hasn't washed for years”.

In a statement, Cave said about the group’s new song, “The sheer exuberance of a song like Frogs, it just puts a big fucking smile on my face.”

You can listen to Frogs below.

Frogs is the second single from Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ new album, with the band sharing the title track back in March.

Wild God will be released via Bad Seed in partnership with Play It Again Sam on Friday, 30 August. You can pre-save or pre-order the album on CD, standard or limited-edition vinyl here.

Cave and Warren Ellis produced the new album, which was mixed by David Fridmann. Cave started writing for it on New Year’s Day last year.

Wild God was recorded at Miraval in Provence and Soundtree in London, and the Bad Seeds—Cave, Ellis, Thomas Wydler, Martyn Casey, Jim Sclavunos, and George Vjestica—were joined by Radiohead bassist Colin Greenwood and composer Luis Almau (nylon string guitar, acoustic guitar), offering some additional performances.

The follow-up to 2019’s Ghosteen and the 18th album in their expansive discography, Wild God is almost touted as a happy album.

Cave explained, “It’s a complicated record, but it’s also deeply and joyously infectious. There is never a master plan when we make a record. The records rather reflect back the emotional state of the writers and musicians who played them. Listening to this, I don’t know, it seems we’re happy.

“Wild God… there’s no f*cking around with this record. When it hits, it hits. It lifts you. It moves you. I love that about it.”

In other Nick Cave news, the singer recently revealed that he disagreed with the boycott against the UK showcase festival The Great Escape.

Half the line-up boycotted The Great Escape, demanding the event drop its Barclays bank sponsorship in solidarity with Palestine.

Barclays faced controversy for its financial involvement in companies that supply arms to Israel, with the artists unwilling to support the festival during the ongoing Israel-Gaza war.

In 2017, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds were criticised for performing in Tel Aviv despite the BDS (Boycott, Divest, and Sanction) movement pressuring the band to drop the tour dates.

Cave called the movement “cowardly and shameful” and defended his stance in playing in Israel as a “principled stand against those who wish to bully, shame and silence musicians.”

He continued, “I do not support the current government in Israel, yet do not accept that my decision to play in the country is any kind of tacit support for that government’s policies.”.