Boy Harsher Still Creating Together Post-Breakup, New FADER Mix Previews Album 'GET MEAN'

Augustus Muller described recording this mix lying in bed, saying "the transitions are a little rough, bear with me." That offhand confession perfectly captures the nature of Boy Harsher's FADER Mix: not a polished DJ set, but a personal listening journal documenting what the darkwave duo has been playing on repeat this summer, and the sonic DNA shaping their new album.

Jae Matthews and Augustus Muller of Boy Harsher ended their romantic relationship in 2024 but chose to keep the band going. They're releasing their new album 'GET MEAN' on September 18, and this 18-track FADER Mix serves as a sonic preview ahead of the album's official release. Muller told The FADER that the playlist "mixes stuff we were casually listening to this summer with some music that influenced this record."

The mix opens with the dark soundscapes of Australian composer Lawrence English, then shifts into jazz guitarist Les Paul's "Hawaiian Paradise," weaving through synth-minimalist and post-punk names like Pet Shop Boys, Severed Heads, and Trisomie 21, before settling on Arthur Russell and ML Buch. Matthews specifically mentioned that Judie Tzuke's "Shoot From The Heart" has been on repeat lately, adding "I was also listening to a lot of The Crying Nudes this summer."

A Matrix 12 in New Braunfels, and a black dog named Batman outside Mexico City

'GET MEAN' was recorded across scattered locations, each with its own atmosphere. The duo spent time at a small studio in New Braunfels, Texas, sponsored by Syntaur, which had an abundance of synthesizers on hand—Muller got to use a Matrix 12 for the first time. Matthews mentioned that where she first started writing was Oyameles, a semi-abandoned estate in the mountains outside Mexico City, designed by an architect trained under Frank Lloyd Wright but with a more organic style. The estate was home to temperamental horses and a pack of stray dogs roaming around; one black dog named Batman was especially friendly to her, keeping watch outside her door every night. A local woman named Soledad helped her light the fireplace—the only source of heat in the house. "It was lonely, and weird," Matthews said, "but it was a good place to start writing from."

Both of them came away with something from the creative process. Muller said making this album made him "fall back in love with guitar." Matthews admitted she'd hit a serious writing block, saying "I gave myself room and grace to start writing again," which led her into different narrative and vocal modes. She describes 'GET MEAN' as still within Boy Harsher's usual musical territory, "but there's a natural shift happening in a lot of the songs, and honestly, it feels pretty freeing."

On how they maintained their collaboration after the relationship fell apart, Muller said: "No matter how messy or painful things got, we both knew we couldn't give up on this band—there's still so much left for us to explore." Matthews put it more bluntly: "There was a period where I couldn't be around Gus without wanting to smoke, throw up, or cry. Luckily that instinct faded over time and turned into a strange kind of trust. We've hit rock bottom together, so I understand him, and believe in him, more deeply than most people."

Boy Harsher's FADER Mix is now live on Soundcloud, YouTube, and Mixcloud, with 'GET MEAN' set for release on September 18.