Mogwai have announced a new career-spanning compilation titled Happy Tears, out January 8th via their own Rock Action Records. The Scottish post-rock band is stirring up anticipation for the upcoming collection with “Underground,” a brand new collaboration with Iggy Pop. Stream it below.
The Godfather of Punk, whose stature has never kept him from venturing into more experimental corners, wrote the lyrics and also supplied vocals on the new single. It comes as no surprise, then, that it opens with him bluntly noting “I have been designed to make money, but I want to make love” before breaking into song with the profound declaration, “I don’t need to suck a cock.”
“I’ve always liked Mogwai,” Iggy shared in a statement. “The opening of the track reminded me of the crushing modern loneliness. The sung vocal, which was arranged by Matt Sweeney, felt like it was made for someone who is pissed off and doesn’t mind saying so.”
That admiration goes both ways, as guitarist Stuart Braithwaite has previously elaborated on the veteran’s influence on his outlook.
“Hearing Iggy’s first band, the Stooges, had been a life-changing moment for me,” he wrote in his 2022 memoir. “Their self-titled album was pretty much my bible. It was druggy, dumb and completely primal. I’d never heard anything quite like it […] Iggy was the living embodiment of that complete don’t-give-a-fuck attitude.”
Happy Tears bundles staples and rarities from Mogwai’s catalog across three decades along with some new material. Among them is a reworking of “New Paths to Helicon 1” featuring the Budapest Art Orchestra, with orchestration by Adam Wiltzie of A Winged Victory for the Sullen and Stars of the Lid. The expanded 4xLP edition adds 13 tracks, including six previously unreleased cuts.
Arriving alongside the compilation is Happy Tears: The Story of Mogwai, a two-and-a-half-hour audio documentary chronicling the band’s history in their own words. The compilation also coincides with the 30th anniversary of the band’s independent label, Rock Action Records.
Mogwai will head out for a run of shows in Europe this November, culminating in two hometown performances at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall. Check out the band’s upcoming dates below, and get tickets to sold-out shows here (fans can save $20 on their first order of $200 or more with promo code COS20 at checkout).
Happy Tears Artwork:
Happy Tears Tracklist:
1. Yes! I Am A Long Way From Home
2. I’m Jim Morrison I’m Dead
3. Hunted By A Freak
4. Take Me Somewhere Nice
5. Boltfor
6. CODY
7. Brand New Paths to Helicon 1
8. How To Be A Werewolf
9. Auto Rock
10. Remurdered
11. Ritchie Sacramento
12. Lion Rumpus
13. Underground (feat. Iggy Pop)
4xLP & 2xCD Additional Tracks:
1. Angels vs Aliens
2. Die 1 Dislike!
3. Ether (with The KNDS Fairey Band – Live)
4. The Sun Smells Too Loud (Holden remix)
5. If Not Destroyed: True
6. Full Blast Michael
7. Hingmy Malmsteen
8. Dracula Family
9. Harry Patter
10. Ritchie Sacramento (Other Two remix)
11. Nick Drake
12. Owl Mince
13. Mogwai Fear Satan (Live)
Mogwai 2026 Tour Dates:
11/05 – Liege, BE @ Le Forum
11/06 – Hamburg, DE @ Elbphilharmonie
11/08 – Copenhagen, DK @ Opera House
11/09 – Berlin, DE @ Theater des Westens
11/10 – Utrecht, NL @ TivoliVredenburg Grote Zaal
11/11 – Strasbourg, FR @ La Laiterie
11/13 – Brussels, BE @ Bozar
11/20 – Glasgow, UK @ Royal Concert Hall
11/21 – Glasgow, UK @ Royal Concert Hall
