Viagra Boys on Coachella, Chemtrails and their “Universe of Shrimp”

On ‘Uno II’, the second single off Viagra Boys new album, frontman Sebastian Murphy asks of Bogdan, his Croatian veterinarian: ‘What’s he doing with my teeth? Is he talking them to Australia?‘

Based on the paranoid tone of the song, it would be surprising if Murphy’s teeth were actually on their way to Australia courtesy of Bogdan. If they were, it probably wouldn’t make too much of a difference to anyone outside of Murphy, who would be missing a pair of teeth; his Viagra Boys bandmates, who would be concerned that Murphy’s vet has stolen his teeth; and the recipient of the teeth, whoever they may be.

Luckily, in the absence of teeth, Viagra Boys have blessed both the Australian and world population with viagr aboys (spelt correctly), their fourth album. It’s the Swedish six-piece punk band’s first record since 2022 and their first on their newly established Shrimptech Enterprises record label

As with any Viagra Boys album, viagr aboys is typified by Murphy’s signature lyrical wit, satirical, self-deprecating and absurd in equal measure. This is matched by the record’s instrumental depth, whether it be through the flute riffs on the aforementioned ‘Uno II’, the bassy electronic beat of ‘Store Policy’, or the screeching sax buried in the background of ‘You N33d Me’. It’s as fun and funky as it is disorientating and brash.

Josh from Newfangled caught up with Oskar Carls (sax, flute, guitar) and Tor Sjödén (drums) to discuss the bands recent touring cycle, the significance of their shrimpy new record label, and the likelihood that one of the band members would ever actively involve themself in peddling conspiracy theories.