Nearly Skulls announce new single "American Rules"
Indie-Americana splicing duo - Nearly Skulls - are back with the searing new single American Rules.
On their latest outing, the Stockport pairing of Andy Shepley and Paul Sherwood delve into the quagmire of American politics with a track that fuses glistening Johnny Marr-esque guitar melodies with driving country rock rhythms.
Of the track Sherwood states:
“From my perspective the song digs into American exceptionalism i.e. the belief that America is somehow superior to the rest of the world. For a while I was addicted to American Politics on Youtube, doom-watching for hours every day. This is one of the songs that grew out of that.”
A soaring overview of America’s cultural divide and the root causes driving it apart, “American Rules” is both a paean-to, and political takedown of, the land of the free.
“”Why can’t we all just get along? // Accept that we’re the right. Admit you got it wrong // Ours is the one true God and he always plays by // American Rules. God Bless American Rules” sings Sherwoord here.
Check out the American Rules official video below:
Initially written five years ago, the track remains as acerbically observational and bitterly ironic in the knife-edge current climate we find ourselves living through. The track will feature as part of a brand new EP “Pax Americana”, due for release in the coming months. The E.P. promises to bring together five original songs (including one originally written in 1995!) exploring the impact of “Orange Emperor” as he flexes his power over America and the rest of the world, while we all take a ring side seat on social media.
Nearly Skulls is Andy Shepley and Paul Sherwood. They started making music together way way way back in the early 90s (before anyone had mobile phones or email addresses), when Paul set up a home studio in Stockport and recorded a CD album as DOWNTIME and Andy joined on bass for a string of live shows across Manchester.
Radio 1’s Steve Wright described the debut single Stoneman as “the new industrial sound of Stockport”, but DOWNTIME split - blame the drugs, not musical differences.
Paul and Andy started a new band, WIREWOOD, with a more American-style rock and country sound. In 1995 they organised a coast-to-coast US tour, playing acoustic gigs all the way from New York to San Francisco. WIREWOOD recorded two albums, achieving strong airplay on college radio, and for a while the band moved to Los Angeles, playing support slots and showcases at historic venues including The Viper Room, Goldfingers, and Canter’s Kibitz Room. With Mickey Shapiro (Fleetwood Mac, Brian Wilson) handling legals, WIREWOOD very nearly got picked up by Ted Templeman (Van Halen, Doobie Brothers) for Warner Bros. Records, but eventually the band’s luck ran out in LA.
Paul and Andy got caught up in day jobs and families back in Manchester. Andy kept playing in a series of bands, while Paul dabbled in the movie business and became an award-winning (loss-making) feature film producer. But both of them missed making music together, and eventually their new project Nearly Skulls was born.
Nearly Skulls' music draws on Paul and Andy’s British and American influences, blending elements of The Smiths, Gang of Four, Foo Fighters and R.E.M. Lyrically, Paul has been increasingly driven to write about the chaos and corruption in modern politics and the implications of hi-tech control over society.
Nearly Skulls’ new single "American Rules" will be released on 31st October 2025, with EP ‘Pax Americana’ to follow soon. .
With a once-in-a-lifetime session at Abbey Road’s legendary Studio Two booked-in for this December, standby for more new music from Nearly Skulls very soon…
For more information about Nearly Skulls
