Kula Shaker have dropped a new short film for “Wormslayer,” expanding the visual campaign around their eighth studio album of the same name (read our album review here). The project reunites frontman Crispian Mills with co-director Laurie Peters, whose work blends AI, animation, and clever, often absurd visuals. Peters, known for his collaborations with Ricky Gervais and Karl Pilkington, brings over twenty years’ experience creating cinematic, memorable imagery. The duo previously worked together on the video for the single “Good Money.”
The release of the short film arrives alongside early chart momentum for Wormslayer. Midweek data from OfficialCharts.com shows the album at Number 5 on the Official Albums Chart, putting it on track to become Kula Shaker’s highest-charting release in almost 30 years. The band last reached the Top 5 with their debut album K, which topped the chart in 1996.
The short film takes a page from fantasy gaming and pop-culture epics, revolving around a tabletop role-playing adventure that turns unexpectedly real. Mills’ teenage children and their friends play a band of gamers who find themselves transported into an inter-dimensional version of the Wormslayer universe. Presiding over the chaos is the Dungeon Master — Kula Shaker keyboardist Jay Darlington — who tasks them with “Releasing the Goddess” and taking on a fearsome, mythical worm.
Commenting on how the Wormslayer video came together, Mills said:
“Whether it was reading the Mahabharata or enjoying Excalibur and Lord of the Rings, this band has always been about the ‘quest’. When we recorded the 9-minute title track for Wormslayer, we felt it deserved an epic cinematic quest to do it justice. So I hired my kids, and their mates, who are all in bands, and went berserk with Laurie, creating an epic video featuring live action and role play games, in an homage to Japanese anime-style action.”
He added that his love of Dungeons & Dragons helped shape the project:
“Like many, I grew up with Dungeons & Dragons. There’s even a D&D sequence in Slaughterhouse Rulez (my 2018 feature film, starring Asa Butterfield, Michael Sheen and Simon Pegg), so I think it must have scarred my imagination.”
Mills also described the final film as a mash-up of his favourite pop-culture quests:
“What we ended up with is Goonies, Scooby Doo, Stranger Things, Lord of the Rings, He-Man, and Dungeons & Dragons, rolled into one. And the conceit that this mythic ‘slaying of the worm’ is actually taking place in some Warhammer shop on a High Street in Devon made us all laugh.”
The short film continues Mills’ work as a director, following feature projects including A Fantastic Fear of Everything and Slaughterhouse Rulez. He has also directed all of the videos associated with the Wormslayer campaign to date, including “Good Money,” “Broke As Folk,” “Charge of the Light Brigade,” and “Lucky Number.”
Wormslayer is available across multiple formats, with physical editions designed to reflect the album’s visual identity. A limited edition smoky purple and blue marble gatefold vinyl includes a signed insert and is available via the band’s official store, alongside album bundles that feature a bonus CD of studio bootlegs. All formats can be found HERE.
In support of the album, Kula Shaker recently completed their Wormslayer Busking Sessions, an acoustic record store and signing tour. Their UK and European headline tour begins this Saturday, with live visuals provided by The Mad Alchemist Liquid Light Show. Remaining tickets are available HERE.
Additional festival appearances are planned for summer, including a headline set at Kernowfornia and performances at Belladrum and Guilfest.
TOUR DATES:
FEBRUARY – HEADLINE TOUR
7th – Brighton, Concorde 2 (SOLD OUT)
8th – Cambridge, Junction (SOLD OUT)
9th – Holmfirth, Picturedrome (SOLD OUT)
11th – Glasgow, Old Fruitmarket
12th – Manchester, O2 Ritz
13th – London, Islington Assembly Hall (SOLD OUT)
22nd – Nijmegen, Doornroosje
23rd – Den Haag, Paard van Troje (LOW TICKETS)
25th – Cologne, Bürgerhaus Stollwerck
26th – Paris, Cafe Dé La Danse (LOW TICKETS)
28th – Hamburg, Gruenspan
MARCH – HEADLINE TOUR
2nd – Berlin, Heimathafen Neukölln
3rd – Munich, Technikum
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