Late Stay Ultra Girls make a comeback with new single ‘Chasing Rats, Polly’
After immersing himself in Bristol’s vibrant music scene for over a decade, multi-instrumentalist Tim Burden is stepping into the limelight with his solo project, Late Stay Ultra Girls. The latest release, ‘Chasing Rats, Polly’, is a captivating single that encapsulates a unique blend of dancefloor swagger and creeping paranoia that has become the project’s signature style. Transitioning from collaborating with various musical ventures in Bristol, such as The Hideaways, Billy Driscoll, and Taynee Lord, to now embracing his personal and unpredictable creative vision under Late Stay Ultra Girls, Burden’s sound is intentionally unstable yet irresistibly compelling. His take on swung art-rock interweaves barrel-house piano, motorik synth-noir textures, and expansive post-rock noise to create something that feels both familiar and thrillingly unbalanced.
‘Chasing Rats, Polly’ delves into the space between confidence and self-delusion, exploring themes of shallow bravado and the lengths people go to distort reality in the pursuit of admiration and acceptance. Recorded with producer Stew Jackson (Massive Attack), the single unfolds dramatically, transitioning from a dance-driven indie vibe with post-punk energy to a brooding bridge leading into a sweeping rock-inspired crescendo with soaring guitars and haunting vocal layers. This evolution infuses the track with an emotional arc that shifts from swaggering confidence to a cathartic, introspective, and unsettling experience, making for a messy, inventive, and sonically absorbing piece.
Discussing the track, Burden shares his inspiration, saying, “I’m absolutely in love with Talking Heads and David Byrne. I think this tune is me trying to write two thirds of a Talking Heads tune but with an Elton John outro. It’s disco infused post-punk vibes for two and a half minutes before it shifts into Goodbye Yellow Brick Road-esque bombast and psychedelia for the outro.” He further adds that the line ‘I’ve been chasing rats round, Polly’ came to him outside of a Costa at Strensham services, inspiring him to craft the rest of the track’s nonsensical speech to an imagined Polly figure.
‘Chasing Rats, Polly’ marks the second in a series of planned singles from Late Stay Ultra Girls in 2026. With early backing from publications like Atwood Magazine and It’s Psychedelic Baby Magazine and significant airplay on stations like Amazing Radio UK and US, the project is gaining momentum with each release. Through its fearless blend of danceable rhythms, theatrical songwriting, and psychological unease, ‘Chasing Rats, Polly’ showcases the creative potential of Late Stay Ultra Girls, hinting that Burden’s most captivating work may still be on the horizon.