Last month, Sludgeworth released their first new music in over 30 years, a two-song EP titled Together Not Together. In 2022, the band reunited after a decades-long hiatus, when Red Scare Industries reissued their classic album, Losers of the Year. To help commemorate the long out-of-print record being available once again, they played a show at Cobra Lounge in April of 2023. It was during rehearsals for this show that new music began to surface.

When detailing how the new songs came about, drummer Brian McQuaid explained “It was really just kind of reconnecting with everybody. Part of the reason that subsequent shows happened is because we discovered that we missed each other. I know it sounds kind of fluffy, but I think everybody felt really good being around each other again.” Singer Dan Schafer continued, “Yeah, it’s funny because they said, ‘Oh, we got a new idea’ and I’m like, ‘Oh hell no.’ Then they sent it over and immediately the words and a melody, the ‘together not together’ popped in my head and I’m like, ‘Oh shit.’ I knew right then and it just changed everything. It was really effortless. It literally just came out of them and it came out of me. We could either move forward with it or set it off to the side, but it didn’t seem right to do that, so here we are.”

This Saturday, Sludgeworth will celebrate the release of their new EP with a sold-out show at the Beat Kitchen. When asked about the event, McQuaid said “Since that first show at Cobra, I think every show we’ve played has gotten better and better. Also, there was a real energy in the room that night at Cobra and I’m hoping to feel that again at Beat Kitchen. It’s a tight room and I think that has something to do with it. You see all these people that you haven’t seen in years or decades. It’s almost like a family affair, so that’s the vibe I’m looking for.”

Regarding next steps, the band shared that they plan to maintain their weekly practice schedule, with hopes of recording a new full-length this fall. While Schafer resides in downstate Illinois, he often collaborates with the rest of the band over email. “They usually record their rehearsals and then they’ll send them to me. I listen to it and I’ve been sending some ideas to them as well. We’ve been doing this kind of back and forth. They get together every week, so they sound pretty tight,” he said. McQuaid concluded the discussion by reflecting on the current state of the band. He said, “We’re all older now, so we’ve got kids and stuff. For a while, we had this life that was just like making sure that your kid stays alive and you pay the bills, and that was pretty much it. And then this came along and it’s a big hit again. So, I’m really grateful for that. I think we’re going to hold on to this for as long as we possibly can.”