Oedipus & The Mama’s Boys have today released their new two-part single titled ‘Stretched/Kitchens’. There’s a particular kind of honesty that only shows up when a band isn’t trying to impress you. Stretched/Kitchens lives in that space—unconcerned with hooks as currency, uninterested in comfort, and deeply invested in the idea that a song can still behave like a living thing rather than a product.
This is a two-part piece, but it isn’t a gimmick. It’s a fracture. A before and after. A breath held too long and then finally released in the wrong room.
‘Stretched’ arrives first, and it does so cautiously. Not timid—just aware. The instrumentation feels taut, pulled thin but never snapping, as if every note is trying to maintain composure while quietly unraveling. The rhythm section keeps things moving, but there’s a noticeable emotional drag, like walking forward while still looking over your shoulder. Vocally, there’s restraint here—an almost conversational delivery that lets the weight sit between the lines rather than on top of them.
This half of the song feels like recognition: the moment when you realize something mattered more than you allowed yourself to admit. There’s gratitude tangled up with regret, and neither wins. The band doesn’t resolve it for you. They just let it breathe.
Then ‘Kitchens’ happens, and it doesn’t knock.
The shift is immediate and unsettling, not because it’s louder (though it is), but because it’s messier. Where Stretched was internal, Kitchens is confrontational. The structure loosens, the edges fray, and the vocals sound less like reflection and more like confrontation—directed outward and inward at the same time. This is the sound of belief systems collapsing under their own weight. Of heroes disappointing. Of safe spaces turning claustrophobic.
Musically, the band leans into tension rather than release. The guitars scrape and jab instead of shimmer. The rhythm stutters, threatens, then surges. Any sense of resolution is deliberately avoided. This isn’t a song that wants to help you feel better—it wants to tell you the truth and walk away.
What makes ‘Stretched/Kitchens’ work is the relationship between the two parts. On their own, each would be compelling. Together, they tell a fuller story about disillusionment and awareness—about what happens when reflection isn’t enough, and critique isn’t either. The band understands that growth isn’t linear and that clarity often comes with discomfort rather than peace.
There’s an underlying confidence here that doesn’t rely on polish. Oedipus & The Mama’s Boys trust their instincts enough to let moments linger uncomfortably, to let songs end without explanation, and to assume the listener is capable of keeping up. That trust is rare, and it’s refreshing.
‘Stretched/Kitchens’ doesn’t ask for your attention—it assumes it, then challenges you to sit with what follows. It’s a release that rewards patience, repeated listens, and a willingness to feel unsettled. And in a landscape crowded with bands trying to be heard, that quiet refusal to chase approval might be the loudest statement of all.
About ‘Stretched/Kitchens’
‘Stretched/Kitchens’ is a song of two parts co-written by Gemima and Charlie in mid September, with two completely separate sets of lyrics that have no correlation whatsoever. Yet they are pinned together.
“‘Stretched’ is a letter of gratitude for the love received in a time where I was unaware of how much I needed it, and subsequently how it was taken for granted unknowingly. It is a painful reflection of where I was, and where I ended up. The lyrics were raw and vulnerable to write but it is a song that needed to be written with blood on the page and love in my heart.
‘Kitchens’ is a nightmare, a day dream, a reimagining of the false comfort we find in glorifying our idols – our own desires. We can forget that our muses are projections of our own wants, and where we want for more from what we ourselves make, it exhausts us. The lyrics are a recital of the memories that haunt those who give and lose their all to their muses, stuck in an endless cycle of needing and doing.”
About Oedipus & The Mama’s Boys
Oedipus And The Mama’s Boys are a seven-piece sonic force from Edinburgh, blending raw post-punk energy with experimental noise rock textures. Armed with guitar, bass, saxophone, violin, drums, and synth, their sound is chaotic, cathartic, and fiercely original-drawing influence from genre heavyweights like IDLES, Gilla Band, Squid, The Murder Capital, and Gurriers.
Known for their intense live performances, the band sold out their headline hometown show at Sneaky Pete’s and made a powerful Glasgow debut at King Tut’s, opening the venue’s prestigious ‘Summer Nights’ series. Followed by several support slots with up and coming bands, such as ‘Legss’, ‘Hotel Lux’, ‘Joe and The Shitboys’ and ‘Fuzz Lightyear’, Oedipus and The Mama’s Boys have found a solid footing in alternative music. With a line-up that pushes boundaries and a sound that defies convention, the band are carving out a bold new space in Scotland’s music scene.
Their debut single ‘Bleed’ announced their undeniable presence into the Scottish music industry, picking up global airplay, positive feedback and increased visibility across the industry.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/oedipusandthemamasboys
https://instagram.com/oedipusandthemamasboys
https://www.youtube.com/@oedipusandthemamasboys
https://oandtmb.bandcamp.com/