the first months of lockdown, the band also put out regular live streams on Instagram, featuring them discussing all manner of topics and performing their tracks. On May 21, 2020, We Are Scientists appeared on Jo Whiley's BBC Radio 2 show, premiering their new single "I Cut My Own Hair". While the song was written long before the COVID-19 pandemic, the idea of many people resorting to cutting their own hair made the band feel that the song had a new, different resonance and decided it was a fitting time to release the single. On May 22, they made "I Cut My Own Hair" available to stream and download, as well as releasing some merchandise to accompany the single. The track was also released in conjunction with the Big Buzz Off campaign, part of Mental Health Awareness Week 2020 for the charity Campaign Against Living Miserably. In July 2021 the band announced their seventh studio album Huffy would be released on October 8, 2021 through 100% Records. The announcement also included their new single "Contact High" and detailed their plans to tour the United Kingdom in November through December then and Europe in April 2022. The band released another single, "Sentimental Education" on October 6, 2021. Across 2022 the band performed at a number of festivals, including Into the Wild, Y Not Festival and Victorious Festival. 2022–present: Lobes On September 21, 2022 the band released their new single "Operator Error". Days later the band announced their eighth studio album Lobes would be released on January 20, 2023 through 100% Records. The band also gave details of their planned tour of the United Kingdom, which would start in February 2023. The band released their second single "Less from You" on October 28. A third single, "Just Lucky to Be Here" was released on December 2. Style and performance Before their debut album, their earliest material often drew inspiration for lyrics from comic books and films, whilst the music drew from more punk influences. Keith Murray has cited the influence of such performers as The Rapture and David Bowie on their debut album. The band has noted that tracks on With Love and Squalor were largely written to be performed live, whilst Brain Thrust Mastery was a more specifically studio effort. Older influences include Brian Eno, Velvet Underground, My Bloody Valentine and David Bowie's Berlin era as well as Hall & Oates