Role Model Hermit

Role Model Hermit
Studio album by
mary in the junkyard
Released3 July 2026 (2026-07-03)
Length45:10
LabelAMF Records
Singles from Role Model Hermit
  1. "Crash Landing"
    Released: 24 March 2026
  2. "Candelabra"
    Released: 21 April 2026
  3. "New Muscles"
    Released: 18 May 2026
  4. "Mouse"
    Released: 9 June 2026
  5. "Blood"
    Released: 30 June 2026

Role Model Hermit is the debut album by the English band mary in the junkyard, released on 3 July 2026 through AMF Records.

Release

On 24 March 2026, the band announced the album with the release of the first single "Crash Landing".[1] The track has a music video that was created by Maisy Banks and Jacob Ray.[2]

On 21 April 2026, the band released the second single "Candelabra".[3] The single is accompanied by a video of Freeman-Taylor's solo-acoustic version of the song, which shows her playing the song whilst walking along the banks of the Thames.[4]

On 18 May 2026, the band released the third single "New Muscles".[5] The song was originally written on the accordion and is reportedly "about David [Addison] joining a gym". It is accompanied by a music video, directed by Barbaglia, Daisy Ayscough, and Luke Grieve, and depicts a fight between Barbaglia and Freeman-Taylor.[6]

On 9 June 2026, the band released the fourth single "Mouse",[7] which is the inspiration for the album's cover.[8]

On 30 June 2026, the band released the fifth and final single "Blood",[9] which is accompanied by a music video.[10]

Role Model Hermit was released on 3 July 2026 through AMF Records.[11] Different versions of the album were released, including a Rough Trade exclusive version of the album that contained a bonus CD with 4 extra tracks.[12] The release of the album was supported by an UK in-store tour, originally planned to start on 2 July in Kingston upon Thames, and conclude on 10 July in Glasgow; an UK and European headline tour, planned to start on 11 September in Groningen, and conclude on 8 October in Amsterdam; and an US headline tour, planned to start on 2 November in Los Angeles, and conclude 21 November in Philadelphia.[13]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.0/10[14]
Metacritic82/100[15]
Review scores
SourceRating
Clash8/10[16]
Far OutStarStarStarStarHalf star[17]
NMEStarStarStarHalf star[18]
Northern Transmissions8.3/10[19]
Pitchfork7.6/10[20]
The SkinnyStarStarStarStarStar[21]

Role Model Hermit has received acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, Role Model Hermit received a rating of 82 out of 100 based on 10 critic reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[15] Similarly, on AnyDecentMusic?, it received a rating of 8.0 out of 10, based on 13 reviews.[14]

Writing for NME, JX Soo wrote that the band have "an intricate magic weaved from ... Freeman-Taylor's poetic, observational eye and freewheeling arrangements, equally informed by wiry math-laden contemporaries and elegant classical stylings."[18] Clash wrote of the album that "you feel lost in thecentre [sic] of a dream-like sonic swell".[16] Sadie Sartini Garner wrote in Pitchfork that the band "updates the naive humanism of 2000s indie-folk with modern dread and restless experimentation", and noted that the album is "clearly the work of a band who knows exactly who they are".[20] Billie Estrine wrote that the album is "magnificent feat in angry, sad and fantastical folk-rock" in The Skinny.[21] Dale Maplethorpe of Far Out wrote that "it's rare that you hear a debut album sound so perfectly fleshed out and put together", adding that "it's about as perfect as a debut album gets".[17]

Track listing and personnel

All tracks are written by Clari Freeman-Taylor, Saya Barbagli, and David Addison.[11]

Role Model Hermit track listing[11][22]
No.TitleLength
1."Mantra III"2:41
2."Blood"3:56
3."Seek And Destroy"4:36
4."New Muscles"3:54
5."Myrtle"4:22
6."Peter The Dog"2:29
7."Crash Landing"5:34
8."Welcome Break"3:37
9."Candelabra"3:28
10."Thou Shalt Sprout"5:32
11."Mouse"4:57
Total length:45:10
Rough Trade bonus CD[12]
No.TitleLength
1."Mantra III" (extended version) 
2."Jane" 
3."The Old Tongue" 
4."Mouse" (demo version) 

The album was produced by Oli Bayston, in his studio during the summer of 2025;[23] engineered by Tommy Bosustow and Animesh Raval, with additional vocal engineering by Simon Bloor; mixed by Ben Baptie; and mastered by Matt Colton.[22] The cover for the album was born by a collaboration with creative director Daisy Ayscough and it features Freeman-Taylor wearing prosthetics in order to resemble the character from their song "Mouse".[24] Other art direction and design was done by Daisy Ayscough, Tess Duffin, and Freeman-Taylor, and album photographs were taken by Luke Grieve and Daisy Ayscough.[22]

Charts

Weekly chart performance for Role Model Hermit
Chart (2010) Peak
position
UK Albums (Official Charts)[25]30
UK Album Downloads (Official Charts)[26]9
UK Independent Albums (Official Charts)[27]2
Scottish Albums (Official Charts)[28]8

Notes

References

  1. ↑ "Mary In The Junkyard – Crash Landing (2026) | Track profile". Dork. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
  2. ↑ Maloney, Teddy (24 Mar 2026). "Listen: mary in the junkyard Announce Debut Album and Share New Single 'Crash Landing'". So Young Magazine. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
  3. ↑ "Mary In The Junkyard – Candelabra - Single". Dork. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
  4. ↑ Breihan, Tom (21 April 2026). "Mary In The Junkyard – "Candelabra"". Stereogum. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
  5. ↑ "Mary In The Junkyard – New Muscles - Single". Dork. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
  6. ↑ "Mary In The Junkyard share new single 'New Muscles' ahead of debut album Role Model Hermit". whynow. 19 May 2026. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
  7. ↑ "Mouse | mary in the junkyard". Bandcamp. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
  8. ↑ "Mary In The Junkyard's final single is about a fisherman in a former life with a mouse in his pocket". whynow. 9 June 2026. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  9. ↑ Russo, Sam. "mary in the junkyard Build Debut Album Anticipation 'Blood'". music is to blame. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
  10. ↑ "mary in the junkyard debuts video for "Blood"". Northern Transmissions. 30 June 2026. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  11. 1 2 3 "Role Model Hermit | mary in the junkyard". Bandcamp. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
  12. 1 2 "mary in the junkyard - Role Model Hermit | Rough Trade - (LP - Seafoam Green with Cloudy Effect / Rough Trade Exclusive, LP - Clear Transparent, LP - Black, 2CD - Rough Trade Exclusive, CD)". Rough Trade. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  13. ↑ "Mary In The Junkyard share new song 'Blood' ahead of debut album Role Model Hermit, out Friday". whynow. 30 June 2026. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
  14. 1 2 "Role Model Hermit by mary in the junkyard reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  15. 1 2 "Role Model Hermit by mary in the junkyard Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  16. 1 2 Booton, James (2 July 2026). "mary in the junkyard – Role Model Hermit". Clash. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  17. 1 2 Maplethorpe, Dale (3 July 2026). "Mary in the Junkyard – 'Role Model Hermit' album review: As perfect as a debut gets". Far Out Magazine. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  18. 1 2 Soo, JX (1 July 2026). "Mary In The Junkyard – 'Role Model Hermit': filmic debut that balances grit and grandeur". NME. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  19. ↑ Gedeon, BellaJoli (2 July 2026). "Mary in the Junkyard - Role Model Hermit". Northern Transmissions. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  20. 1 2 Sartini Garner, Sadie (7 July 2026). "mary in the junkyard: Role Model Hermit Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  21. 1 2 Estrine, Billie (2 July 2026). "mary in the junkyard – Role Model Hermit". The Skinny. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  22. 1 2 3 mary in the junkyard (3 July 2026). Role Model Hermit (CD booklet). AMF Records.
  23. ↑ Vozick-Levinson, Simon (23 June 2026). "Get swept up in Mary in the Junkyard's dream world". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 24 June 2026. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  24. ↑ Wright, Lisa (20 May 2026). "Meet Marina Abramović's favourite new band: emerging indie group Mary In The Junkyard". Wallpaper*. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  25. ↑ "Official Albums Chart on 12/7/2026 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  26. ↑ "Official Album Downloads Chart on 12/7/2026 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  27. ↑ "Official Independent Albums Chart on 12/7/2026 – Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  28. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart on 12/7/2026 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
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