Bob Mould addresses questions of sexual identity and self-hatred on new single Siberian Butterfly

(Image credit: Daniel Boczarski / Getty Images)

Bob Mould touches upon questions of sexual identity and self-hatred in Siberian Butterfly, the autobiographical new single from his forthcoming Blue Hearts album, the follow-up to 2019’s Sunshine Rock. The former Husker Du man released a lyric video for the track today (September 9).

The song finds Mould singing: “Every Sunday the local men gather up at the barn and when the sun goes down the sky is filled with rainbow butterflies.”

Speaking about the track, Mould says: “The genesis of Siberian Butterfly spoke to the notion of ’collectors’ — people with excessive means who gather the works of creative folk for their ego-driven portfolios. As I kept writing, the narrative shifted toward themes of change, growth, and freedom. These motifs are central to how we become our true selves. This is how we begin our journey toward our true identities. It’s autobiographical as well. I put myself through some self-hating years as a young gay man — never feeling ‘good enough’, not recognising the positive qualities I had to offer, while inhibiting the development of my gay identity.”

It’s the latest song previewing Mould’s new album Blue Hearts, with the vocalist/guitarist having previously released American Crisis and Forecast Of Rain from the album, which is set for release on Merge Records on September 25.

Mould has described the 14-track self-produced album as “the catchiest batch of protest songs I’ve ever written in one sitting.”

A music writer since 1993, formerly Editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine (RIP), Paul Brannigan is a Contributing Editor to Louder. Having previously written books on Lemmy, Dave Grohl (the Sunday Times best-seller This Is A Call) and Metallica (Birth School Metallica Death, co-authored with Ian Winwood), his Eddie Van Halen biography (Eruption in the UK, Unchained in the US) emerged in 2021. He has written for Rolling Stone, Mojo and Q, hung out with Fugazi at Dischord House, flown on Ozzy Osbourne's private jet, played Angus Young's Gibson SG, and interviewed everyone from Aerosmith and Beastie Boys to Young Gods and ZZ Top. Born in the North of Ireland, Brannigan lives in North London and supports The Arsenal.