Today, The Breeders release a track from their upcoming reissue of Last Splash (out on Friday), ‘Divine Mascis’, a never before heard version of ‘Divine Hammer’ from the original recording sessions, featuring vocals from Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis.

+ Pre-order Last Splash (30th Anniversary Edition) Black Vinyl Double LP + 

J Mascis’ version of the song came as a pleasant surprise to the rest of the band.  Speaking to Uncut, Kelley explains: “At the time, J Mascis was a guitar god… we sent him the tape to put guitar on, so when it came back and he’s got rid of our voices and just put his vocal on, we were like, ‘Wha?!’  But it’s really cute. There’s a freshness to it, and it’s just so weird.  I like his voice and the idiosyncratic way he sings and delivers lines.  So I thought it was really neat.”

The track is released with a new video featuring J Mascis and directed by Sabrina Nichols.  The reissue, entitled Last Splash (30th Anniversary Original Analog Edition), will be released this Friday (22 September).

A defining album of the 90s, Last Splash by The Breeders turns 30 this year.  Recorded by the ‘classic’ Breeders line-up of Kim Deal (vocals, guitar), Kelley Deal (guitar, vocals), Josephine Wiggs (bass, vocals) and Jim Macpherson (drums, vocals), and featuring the infectiously appealing ‘Cannonball’, Last Splash immediately became an alt-rock classic, achieving platinum status in the UK and US, and is ranked in Pitchfork’s Top 100 Records of the 1990s.

To celebrate this anniversary, the album has been remastered from the original analog tapes – previously thought to be lost – a process which also brought to light two unreleased tracks, a discovery that will delight fans.  The reissue will span two 12” 45rpm vinyl discs, plus an exclusive, one-sided etched 12” disc containing the two forgotten tracks from the original Last Splash sessions: ‘Divine Mascis’ and ‘Go Man Go’, a track that Kim co-wrote with Black Francis.

Cut at half speed at Abbey Road Studios by Miles Showell

A1. New Year
A2. Cannonball
A3. Invisible Man
A4. No Aloha

B1. Roi
B2. Do You Love Me Now?
B3. Flipside

C1. I Just Wanna Get Along
C2. Mad Lucas
C3. Divine Hammer
C4. S.O.S

D1. Hag
D2. Saints
D3. Drivin’ on 9
D4. Roi (Reprise)

12”
A1. Go Man Go
A2. Divine Mascis

For this special edition, the original, iconic sleeve art by the late visionary designer Vaughan Oliver has been gloriously reimagined by his long-time design partner Chris Bigg.

In honour of the album’s 30 years, the band are currently on the road for a special run of shows performing Last Splash in its entirety, appearing with Belly (formed by original Breeder Tanya Donelly), Screaming Females and Horsegirl in select markets.  They will also be supporting Olivia Rodrigo for her LA and New York shows in 2024 - full tour dates are below. 

September
20th - Fillmore, Philadelphia PA, US
21st - Fillmore, Silver Springs MD, US 
23rd - Kings Theater, Brooklyn NY, US
24th - House of Blues, Boston MA, US

October
3rd - Talking Stick Resort, Phoenix AZ, US 
5th - Don Haskins Center, El Paso TX, US
7th - Tannahill's Tavern & Music Hall, Fort Worth TX, US 
8th - Austin City Limits Music Festival, Austin TX, US
13th - Stubb's Waller Creek Ampitheater, Austin TX, US
15h - Austin City Limits Music Festival, Austin TX, US 
18th - The Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever, Los Angeles CA, US 
19th - The Wiltern, Los Angeles CA, US
20th - Observatory, San Diego CA, US 
22nd - Henry Miller Library, Big Sur CA, US
23rd - The Warfield, San Francisco CA, US
25th - Paramount, Seattle WA, US 

January 2024
20th - Go Media Stadium, Auckland, NZ
24th - Apollo Projects Stadium, Christchurch, NZ 
27th - Sky Stadium, Wellington, NZ

April 2024 
5th - Madison Square Garden, New York NY, US*
6th - Madison Square Garden, New York NY, US*
8th - Madison Square Garden, New York NY, US*
9th - Madison Square Garden, New York NY, US*

August 2024
13th - The Forum, Los Angeles CA, US*
14th - The Forum, Los Angeles CA, US *
16th - The Forum, Los Angeles CA, US *
17th - The Forum, Los Angeles CA, US *

* - w/ Olivia Rodrigo 

THE BREEDERS ONLINE
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook