Mogwai and Iggy Pop release new single 'Underground'

Single 'Underground' by Mogwai featuring Iggy Pop has been released. It will be part of Mogwai's upcoming collection Happy Tears, which encompasses highlights and rarities from their career.

Scottish post-rock band Mogwai celebrated their 30 year anniversary in 2025. Their best-known album As the Love Continues reached number one on UK charts in 2021. Collection album Happy Tears will be released on their own record label, Rock Action Records, on January 8, 2027.

Iggy Pop was the lead vocalist of The Stooges and has been called the Godfather of Punk. Although the majority of their music did not achieve mainstream popularity, The Stooges have been cited as an influence by bands such as Nirvana and The Smiths, while Iggy Pop's solo work was a foundation for post-punk and industrial musicians, including Depeche Mode. He is also credited with popularising crowd-diving.

In his book, Mogwai's lead singer Stuart Braithwaite discussed the influence Iggy Pop had on his understanding of music.

“Hearing the Stooges had been a life-changing moment for me", he wrote. "Their self-titled album was pretty much my bible. It was druggy, dumb and completely primal.

"I’d never heard anything quite like it and even though that band had pretty much fallen apart by the time I was born, I grew to love the three Stooges albums as much as any music I’d heard. I had a VHS video of Iggy playing live and I watched it over and over. His performance was unlike anything or anyone I’d seen before. The spectacle was great, but it was his voice and songs that really captured me.”

“I’ve always liked Mogwai. The opening of the track reminded me of the crushing modern loneliness", Iggy Pop said of their collaboration. "The sung vocal, which was arranged by Matt Sweeney, felt like it was made for someone who is pissed off and doesn’t mind saying so.”

Mogwai are touring mainland Europe in November, plus dates in Glasgow. Ireland is not included.

Watch the music video for 'Underground' below.