Sudakistan lay the rules to waste with new track "Ilegal"

The first new material to surface from the outfit since their long-anticipated debut album last year, "Ilegal" rages with a ferocity that the band have made entirely their own. Untamed and unrestrained, the track is an explosion of challenging sentiment and free-wheeling refrains.

Rhythms race at a breakneck speed, vocal chants rousing and rallying as the track races to a dynamic climax. Pushing everything to the extreme, Sudakistan are taking the world by force. Managing to create this much chaos on record, their live shows are certain to be something to behold.

Vocalist and guitarist Michell Serrano spoke to us about the new track, post-album empowerment, and the group's upcoming shows. Stream "Ilegal" below, and read our conversation beneath.

What's the new song "Ilegal" about?

It’s about people without papers struggling to come to a better place, as Europe and all over the world. How maybe they’re feeling, while we are sitting comfortably eating a nice steak.

It's a standalone single, but are there any plans for any further releases any time soon?

The plans are there and we are in progress to record our second album.

You put out your debut album last year - to some pretty high praise - how long had you been working on it, and what was it like to finally put that out into the world?

We started the work on the album in 2014 so almost two years my friend. To put the album out was the best thing that have happened to us, it was a four year journey as a band, a presentation of the Sudakistan sound.

What's the response been like from your perspective?

It’s been the best! So good to have new people listening now and always getting more.

Someone even hacked the Festivalrykten website and listed you as the five albums most worth hearing of last year: what's it like knowing you've inspired that much dedication in your fans?

Hahaha! Sudakistan fans are hardcore!

If you could sum your sound up in a sentence, what would it be?

Holy Shit man! That’s what people say when they see us live.

You're kind of PNKSLM's golden child - the band that inspired the start of the label - what's it like being a part of that roster and working with those guys?

Golden child, hahaha. Yeah maybe, why not! To be a part of the whole PNKSLM movement is like having a big fucking family that you allways can depend on, in good moments and bad ones! Sometimes we don’t even know the band they're signing but when we all meet it's like a big party with all your cousins and relatives you haven’t met! PNKSLM is the shit!

You're touring across the UK through the next fortnight, and Europe after that: what can people expect when they head to see you play?

Like Carlos (Amigo, percussionist) said one time when we started our show, "Welcome to the party".

How does touring/playing in the UK differ from Sweden?

It’s a big difference. In Sweden we are playing for our home crowd and it’s always something special. The UK is like our second home now, and people that comes to our concerts always gets really into the music so that’s a super nice thing for us.

Music aside, what are you most looking forwards to about being in the UK?

To meet all of our friends over there!

You're playing The Great Escape: is there anyone/anything you're particularly excited to see?

I don’t know if we're playing the same day, but it’s gonna be fun to meet the guys from Songhoy Blues again!

If you could give one piece of advice to new bands looking to make their venture to foreign shores, what would it be?

Just have fun. Don’t expect money, just do it for the fun and the laughs.

What are your tour essentials?

Good sleep sometimes, and a shower! We are not 20 anymore.

Post-tour, what's next for Sudakistan?

Summer gigs, and a new single.

Sudakistan begin a UK/EU tour at The Castle in Manchester tonight. Full details of their upcoming dates - including a performance at The Great Escape festival - can be found below.

May

16 - Manchester, The Castle
17 - London, The Victoria
19 - Brighton, The Great Escape
20 - UK, Secret Show
21 - Birmingham, The Sunflower Lounge
22 - Glasgow, The Hug and Pint
24 - Paris, La Mécanique Ondulatoire (Black Lips after party)
25 - Hamburg, Hafenklang
26 - Berlin, Bei Ruth
27 - Copenhagen, Bakken
28 - Gothenburg, Pustervik (w/ Magic Potion + angelic milk)

June

18 - Stockholm, Debaser Strand (w/ Ty Segall)
27 - Roskilde, Roskilde Festival

July

30 - Gothenburg, Festival del Mar Asperö

August

20 - Hultsfred, This is Hultsfred Festival