The Tubs – Hard Life
On their latest album, The Tubs have picked up where they left off, fusing upbeat backings with honest musings about modern London living
The Tubs’ acclaimed second album, Cotton Crown, was one of the most celebrated indie-rock releases of 2025. On it, frontman Owen Williams sang with cutting honesty about failed relationships and the passing of his mother, on what was a virtuosically melancholic 30-minute project. The Tubs have picked up where they left off on Hard Life, fusing upbeat backings with honest musings about modern London living.
‘You say you’re gonna move to London / Well who’s gonna pay the rent?’ Williams asks a partner, or perhaps an ex, on lead single Who’s Gonna Love You Now? Like all of The Tubs’ best work, a beautiful jangle-pop instrumental suggests an air of romance that is promptly flattened by lyrical realism. Hard Life has emotional moments, none less so than Williams singing to a heartbroken friend facing the prospect of being single in his 30s on Didn’t I Say?, though the four-piece never take themselves too seriously – following the downbeat number with a cover of Prince’s Do Yourself a Favor.
Originally an all-Welsh lineup, The Tubs are now supported by Scottish drummer Romeo Taylor, of Kingdom of Scotland fame. Anyone who's had the joy of watching Taylor live will know how passionate a performer he is, and The Tubs’ new material will sound at its best in the sweaty, low-ceilinged rooms they’re headed for on their forthcoming UK tour.
Listen to: Stoop to Me, Do Yourself a Favor, Heaven or London