Introducing: Mutual Blue

Mutual Blue is back, and they’re louder, sharper, and more honest than ever. With their latest single Skydive Eyes, the band delivers a masterclass in blending sprawling shoegaze textures with jangly indie immediacy. This track is the culmination of three years of evolution, distilling their sound into its purest, most authentic form. Featuring reflective and brutally honest lyricism, addictive grooves, and a bassline that could make Mani proud, Skydive Eyes is a testament to Mutual Blue's commitment to pushing boundaries—both sonically and emotionally.

We caught up with lead singer Ted Parsons to dive into the making of this standout track, his lyrical inspirations, and what’s next for the band.

1. "Skydive Eyes" has been described as the culmination of three years of stylistic evolution for Mutual Blue. How did your sound develop during this time, and what makes this track stand out as a milestone for the band? 

Ted: “It’s so hard to carve out your own personality and sound as a band when there’s thousands of artists doing what you’re doing already. You really have to look internally at what you do individually and personally as a writer, and amplify it and focus on it. It took a couple years of developing my style to understand what it was I wanted the band to sound like and also try to work out where everybody fit into that sound. We started out as a very “indie” band, following the path that most bands do. I had the EP songs already written from when I was 17 years old when I hadn’t yet fully explored where I could go sonically! Having the boys bring their own set of influences and force me out of my comfort zone was the reason we started getting anywhere with our sound. “Skydive Eyes” epitomises the blend of the four of us, the best so far.” 

Aidan:  “I agree with Ed in the sense that this song is a great demonstration of how we’ve evolved since releasing “Wake Me Up Tomorrow”. Comparing “Skydive Eyes” to our work back then shows not only, in my opinion, a more unique blending of parts which allows our sound to shine through more evidently but also a more confident sense of personality. It’s ultimately more satisfying to me because I can hear each of our individual styles and passions shining through within the parts. Each song we have written together since then has gotten a bit closer to that better balance and to me “Skydive Eyes” represents the pinnacle of, as Ed said, that balance so far. Hopefully we can work from this to create a discography of tracks with this harmony of four.” 

2. The song blends the noise of shoegaze with a jangly more immediate sound. How do you approach balancing these contrasting elements while maintaining your signature style? 

Ted: “I don’t know if we have a signature style just yet but we’re getting closer to it with “Skydive Eyes”. The contrasting elements like Aidan’s heavier influence and Jack’s “guitarist” way of thinking about bass is what makes the Mutual Blue sound - it’s the push and pull of all of the differing influences that we as a band really try to capture.” 

Peter: “I think I can only name one Mutual Blue song without chord extensions. This isn't it. I'd say a lot of that sound we go after comes from these chords Ted lays the song's foundation with. Those messy yet emotive stacks do everything for us.”

3. The lyrics reflect on vulnerability and premature confessions of love. What inspired this introspection, and how do you think listeners will relate to the song’s themes? 

Ted: “I’m a very open and honest person and certainly more so as I've grown older. I can’t be bothered with the waiting and playing of games when you’re courting someone, especially if ultimately nothing is to come of it. But as they say the chase is often the most exciting part so it usually doesn’t tend to go my way. The chorus is someone telling me what I’m doing wrong but trying to navigate that conversation in a polite way.” 

4. Ted mentioned rewriting the chorus as a pre-chorus, which took the song in a new direction. Can you share more about how that creative decision shaped the final track? 

Ted: “The track went through a fair few iterations, versions with three verses and more at the very early stages. I had the pre chorus with the “stick around, settle down” lines and it was fine but it needed to go somewhere else, a lift. As I’d heard somewhere, a songwriter suggested making your chorus and pre and writing something fresh on top, so I gave it a go. I also felt I hadn’t explored enough of the narrative as a whole, so I searched around and found the chorus. Towards the end of the demoing process I’d sent the track to my dad who just said “Take out that second verse, go straight to the chorus! Don’t mess around with it and cut the fluff!” 

5. With standout contributions from each band member, including Jack’s Mani-like bass riffs, how do you ensure that every element shines while still creating a cohesive sound? 

Jack: “It's about making sure that we aren't overlapping each other in the parts we play, for example, keeping the different guitar parts separate enough in their register and tone. As well as using backing vocals just like another instrument, where we will deviate from the original vocal melody or add response lines in the gaps without a lead vocal.” 

Ted: “Exactly that! In this band bass has a very important role in the character of the songs, it carries a lot of melody and interest in it, so when one instrument is doing that more prominently in the song it’s about making the other instruments like the drums sit a bit further back in the mix and to not be overplayed. Aidan’s very good at playing “to the song” and that’s a crucial part in writing good songs, knowing where and when to come to the front and when to sit back and be ok with not being the main part focus.”