Self Release 19th September 2025
Banging chat / rap / spoken word / funk / rock / disco album from a contradictory Dublin / London-based band. Scustin is a contraction of ‘disgusting’ and the standout track is ‘The Ick’ about the horror of adding blackcurrant to Guinness. A storming, raving, furiously impelling funk guitar fury, it raises the pulse.
See, this is a concept album about pub life in Dublin. The characters and people drawn from the people they’ve met, some you’ll recognise as staples of any regulars pub, are burnt in the mental retina. This is about the pub culture of Ireland, recognising their role as community hubs while hitting topics you might argue about over a pint – the housing crisis, blame culture, COVID conspiracy theories, and social media brain-rot.
You’ll meet monologues from some charmers, some fools and tunes about the rotating cast of pub folks. Larry is the fictional barman and his role is described in the opening spoken-word piece, his almost-martyr role in creating the atmosphere, dealing with all comers and being taken for granted.
Frontman Joe Hearns explains: “Irish pubs are way more than just places for pints. They’re like modern-day churches. People come in looking for connection, for ritual, for someone to talk to. We wanted to push back against the cliché, the pub isn’t about getting locked. It’s about love, grief, business ideas, confessions…it’s all there.”
The other highlight is the single ‘I’m Never Flying With Ryanair Again’. It’s infectious, dancey and a laugh, with moaning about Ryanair while acknowledging that we all moan about things we accept – like booking with them, knowing it will be cramped, then moaning when it’s cramped. “We love making people laugh, but we want them to think too,” says Joe. “If you can do both in one song, you’re onto something.”
A set full of grooves accompanying social commentary, character plays and laughs. As Joe Hearns says; “We don’t get the idea that art shouldn’t be political. Art’s always been political. It reflects the world, it questions it. That’s part of the job. Whether you’re dancing and singing with us in a sweaty basement venue or just connecting to the stories on the album, it’s all about feeling part of something bigger. It’s about meeting new people, being present, and feeling human again even just for a moment.”