Tummyache – ‘Stop, Drop, Roll’ | Single Review

June 5 2025 | Written By Carmel Corpe

Indie band Tummyache have released their new, visceral single “Stop, Drop, Roll”, in which lead vocalist Soren Bryce positions against big government and corporations with their emotionally charged vocal performance. Starting direct and emotive, their singing evolves into something grungy and guttural, repeating the chorus and title in the song’s climax. What sets Tummyache apart is their introspective lyricism which looks at the exploitative nature of government and corporations in everyday life. 

Bryce said the lyric “Couldn’t sleep for days thanks to artificial sun” exposes exploitation forcing longer working days fueled by artificial light. Bryce also refers to “the blue light of technology and its hand in the day-to-day psyche of humans”. The inversion of “light” as a natural metaphor into an exploitative one is at the heart of the song’s meaning; the exploitation of humanity. Overall the lyrics touch on the absurdity of modern life sardonically (“Look at your empire, stop and smell the rose”) yet intimately (“Look at your desires”). 

Bryce says “the final lines of the verses are directed at myself saying all I’ve done is ‘stop drop roll’ rather than organising and articulating myself against these powers as best I can”. Tummyache taps into a universal experience of being forced into a state of survival rather than engaging in directed political action. The tension between introspection and manipulation is echoed sonically when the warm electric guitar evolves into fuzzy distortion. This uncertainty and chaos is accompanied by a news announcement, which Bryce says was intended to “sound quite inauthentic about caring about people’s safety and well being”. 
Tummyache’s brilliant new single “Happy Birthday” is out now. Also be sure to check out tickets for their third album release show on the 8th of August at George Tavern in London!

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