Sleaford Mods Collaborate With NZ's Own Aldous Harding On Single Elitest G.O.A.T

Sleaford Mods have teamed up with Aldous Harding for their new single, 'Elitest G.O.A.T', which is out today. The song is taken from the band’s forthcoming new album, The Demise Of Planet X, which will be released this Friday (16 January 2026).

Pulsing with chiming synths and propulsive beats, 'Elitest G.O.A.T' is a bittersweet soundtrack to modern life as this melodic gem mixes 21st-century angst, social bravado, Daleks and light-as-a- cloud vocals from the incomparable Harding.

“When we did the bare bones of Elitest G.O.A.T. it unnerved me because it almost sounded like a small band because for the bassline we really took influence from progressive music like David Bowie’s Low.” explains Williamson. “But Andrew always comes up with something really good and tasteful, and his beat ticking away pulls it back into Sleaford Mods. As I put the vocal on, I knew it was a goer. We’ve created something a bit different, and Aldous Harding really helped with that. She is brilliant on this track, and it is one of my favourites on the album. It’s such a good song.”

Andrew Fearn and Jason Williamson’s collaboration with the New Zealand singer-songwriter came from their long-standing friendship and artistic relationship. The Sleaford Mods frontman provided guest vocals on Leathery Whip, a song from Harding’s 2022 album Warm Chris, and so they knew exactly who to ask when Elitest G.O.A.T. drew Sleaford Mods onto fresh territory.

“We asked Aldous if she’d be up for doing the business for us, and luckily, she was over here recording,” adds Williamson. “So, she joined us in the studio in Bristol. That day at Invada Studios was very special. I felt like we'd really accomplished something.”

A video for Elitest G.O.A.T is available to watch now. Mixing a host of thought-provoking found footage with the band and Aldous Harding’s own imagery, it has been directed by John Minton.

The video is a feeding frenzy of images,” explains Minton who has just made his feature-length directorial debut with the thriller Game. “Vampires and sharks chomping through themes of infighting, herd mentality, privilege, fear and escapism. Get taken for a ride. Outright.”

“We wanted a video that reflected the banal energy of people posturing in the face of other people’s pain and misery,” adds Williamson. “Not everyone is guilty of this, obviously, but recently there’s been a wave of souvenir-shop activism set against the backdrop of our collectively failing societies. I was drawn to the ideas in Mark Fisher’s Exiting The Vampire Castle, particularly its critique of an imploding Left, alongside imagery of time-warped nothingness and collective conformity. John captures this perfectly: an odd slab of cold, passionless pictures.”

The Demise Of Planet X follows Sleaford Mods’ 2023 state-of-the-nation album, UK GRIM, the duo’s most successful record to date which earned them their highest UK chart position, going straight in at Number 3 and as previously announced, Sleaford Mods will hit the road following its release. The band will play shows around the globe, including the following tour of Australia and New Zealand in April 2026, tickets on sale now from handsometours.com

Handsome Tours present...
Sleaford Mods 2026 Australian & New Zealand Tour

Saturday Apr 11, 2026 - Perth FAC Front Lawn
Tuesday Apr 14, 2026 - Melbourne Forum
Friday Apr 17, 2026 - Sydney Enmore Theatre
Sunday Apr 19, 2026 - Adelaide Hindley St Music Hall
Tuesday Apr 21, 2026 - Brisbane Tivoli
Thursday Apr 23, 2026 - Wellington Meow Nui
Saturday Apr 25, 2026 - Auckland Powerstation

On sale now
handsometours.com

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