David Shrigley reveals sleeve art for Hot Chip x Sleaford Mods collab

Artist David Shrigley has created the cover artwork for a collaborative release from Hot Chip and Sleaford Mods – or the Hot Mods, for short. Created for the tracks Nom Nom Nom and Cat Burglar, the artwork depicts a character in profile, with many iterations of the same character crammed and fighting for space within their head. On the idea behind the artwork, Shrigley tells It’s Nice That: “I was maybe thinking about identity: That identity is a complicated thing and that perhaps we all have many different versions of ourselves and each can be quite different. That seemed somehow relevant to this project: Two different identities coming together to produce something unexpected and great.” He adds, in typical dry-humoured Shrigley fashion: “Or maybe I just thought it was an interesting picture to put on a record cover.”

Shrigley was drawn to the project, being a fan of both bands. What he loves about Sleaford Mods is how “they manage to be both angry and funny at the same time. I’m from the same part of the world as them so perhaps that’s why I feel that somehow I understand where they are coming from.” The artist, who has a long history of making his own music, often collaboratively with other artists, says Hot Chip “remind me I love melodic pop” and Sleaford Mods “satisfy my need for hard beats”. Shrigley adds: “I think it’s a really interesting collaboration and it works really well.”

The Hot Mods release is part of Abbey Road’s ongoing Lock-In series, in which bands and musicians collaborate on a new project at the famous studio. Sleaford Mods describe the track Cat Burglar as “a weird prog rock meets B52’s jams that discusses the narrow corridors of modern human experience”. Hot Chip describe the collaboration, which took one day, as having “lots of improvisation and very little ego”.

Friendly Records is pressing 1000 copies of the 7’ vinyl release of Hot Mod’s Nom Nom Nom and Cat Burglar, with all profits going to War Child, as part of the ongoing Friendly Records x War Child initiative. You can buy and stream the release here.