Scottish post-rock band Mogwai have joined forces with punk icon Iggy Pop for their strange and captivating new single “Underground.” The track arrives as the first preview of the band’s upcoming career-spanning compilation Happy Tears, which celebrates Mogwai’s 30-year history and is set for release January 8 via Rock Action Records.
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“Underground” is an unusual collision of Mogwai’s expansive instrumentation and Iggy Pop’s unmistakable delivery. Built around a pulsing, infectious beat, the song feels simultaneously gritty and playful as Pop delivers bizarre lyrics from the perspective of a robot, touching on loneliness, money, love and a series of deliberately unexpected observations. The lyrics may seem strange at first, but their unpredictability only makes the track more compelling.
The accompanying visuals amplify that surreal quality. Moving through distorted imagery and hypnotic sequences, the video creates the sensation of being pulled into a projector or sucked directly into a movie. The constantly shifting visuals mirror the song’s offbeat energy, making “Underground” feel less like a traditional music video and more like a strange cinematic experience.
The collaboration also carries personal significance for Mogwai guitarist Stuart Braithwaite, who has long cited Iggy Pop and The Stooges as major influences. Pop has described the song’s opening as evoking “crushing modern loneliness,” while his vocals bring a rebellious edge to Mogwai’s atmospheric sound.
“Underground” follows Mogwai’s acclaimed 2025 album The Bad Fire, which mxdwn previously covered in its album review. The band also previously announced the album alongside the single and video for “Lion Rumpus.”
Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat