Following her successful live debut in Australia and New Zealand in October, Freak Slug – the project of UK multi-disciplinarian Xenya Genovese – today reveals her new EP Loose Tooth And A Short Skirt, out now via Future Classic. LISTEN HERE.

Marking the first project since last year’s acclaimed debut album, I Blow Out Big Candles, Loose Tooth And A Short Skirt bridges the gap into a whole new era for the artist, as she continues to peel back the layers of Freak Slug. Across the EP, these five tracks take very real situations and warp them through Freak Slug’s quirky sonic fairground mirror, immersing listeners in the world of an artist who writes directly from the centre of it all, and leans into the extremities of both herself and the world around her.

Brimming with unfiltered and visceral emotion, at its core, this EP deals with matters of the heart: “Oh, there’s all kinds of love stories there, different ones – break up, fancy you, hate you,” she says. “But it’s a more real interpretation of it all, maybe.” Today’s focus track ‘Miss June’ has swiftly become a live show favourite, evoking the dichotomous push and pull of infatuation through a sonic palette that channels the great bands of Manchester – from Joy Division to The Smiths.

Casting an eye over (un)comfortable need on ‘My Only Friend’, the melancholy closing moments of ‘Does It Matter’ meanwhile mix acoustic guitars and electronic elements into a strange and beautiful whole. It leaves Loose Tooth And A Short Skirt in a very different place to where the cheeky playfulness of ‘Honest Man’ begins, but such is the duality of Freak Slug. “I think that’s my life,” she shrugs. “Anything I do feels strong in myself, the light and the dark are very heavy for me. So whatever I’m gonna do is gonna be pretty intense.”

Having first broken through with viral hit ‘Radio’ (25 million Spotify streams and counting) and the dreamier, summery ‘Friday’ and ‘Care’, with last year’s debut album Freak Slug started purposefully broadening out her artistry. A proud Northerner with a wildly creative outlook, and a self-described “avoidant” Leo rising, she’s been learning to be herself entirely: confident, forthright, and – most importantly – honest about who she really is. “I’ve gone through phases of not representing myself properly, and I’m never doing it again because it takes a while to come back from it,” she says. “I’m not thinking about what people want or what’s gonna do well anymore. I’m singing more in my accent, and I’m just being more unapologetically myself.”

Acclaimed by the likes of DIY Magazine, Clash and BBC Introducing, plus notable sessions with KEXP, Audiotree and more, Freak Slug has been making waves across the globe. Kicking off 2025 with a performance at SXSW in Austin, Texas in March before returning to the UK for an extensive run across some of the continent’s most beloved festivals, including Latitude Festival, Kendal Calling, Leeds Festival, Rock N Roll Circus and more, she’s solidified her status as one of the most exciting emerging names on the international live circuit. Now with her Australia & New Zealand live debut under her belt, including sets at this year’s SXSW Sydney, Freak Slug has carved out a lane that’s as unpredictable as it is unforgettable.

Whether she’s casting love spells over slinking basslines, unpacking emotional messiness with a sly grin, or comparing exes to disappointing desserts, she does it all with unfiltered honesty and theatrical flair.