Following their debut LP DN001, Irish punk-funk misfits Def Nettle have re-emerged with their latest single, ‘Mohawk’, and sees the band turning up the volume on both attitude and groove, cementing their reputation as one of the most restless outfits in contemporary punk.

Since their 2025 comeback, Def Nettle have rolled out the singles ‘Get Me Here’, ‘Headwrecker’ and ‘Nothing For It’, each track sharpening the bite of their punk roots while flirting with funk and dancefloor energy. ‘Mohawk’ cranks that approach up a notch, pairing razor-edged 80s post-punk guitar riffs with shimmering new-wave textures. The result is a track that feels equally at home in a gritty New York loft or a packed Madchester club, nostalgic yet defiantly modern.

Vocals are split between frontman and producer Glen Brady and rapper Lisa Doyle-Taaffe, whose back-and-forth alternates between tongue-in-cheek mockery and sharp critique. The lyrics skewer the commodification of punk fashion, yes, even the eponymous Mohawk, while dropping nods to perennial influences The Cure, The Smiths, Joy Division and Sisters of Mercy. It’s self-aware without losing swagger, poking fun at the band’s own indulgence in retrospection and sentimentality.

Supporting the duo, guest guitarist Dissenter Melody, drummer Damien Fox and bassist Ely Siegel lock into a tight, stomping groove that drives the song forward. The rhythm section’s punch and drive make it impossible not to nod along, reinforcing Def Nettle’s flair for fusing eclectic influences without descending into pastiche.

With ‘Mohawk’, Def Nettle stake a claim as a band unafraid to tangle with tradition, satire and sheer sonic fun and one funky, snarling riff at a time.