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In 2000 there were no food banks in the UK. There are now over 2,8001. Over the same period the number of billionaires in the UK went from around 30 to around 1502 – a direct consequence of austerity policies pursued by successive governments over the last fifteen years.

theukhasmorefoodbanksthanbranchesofmcdonalds.com is an album by Matthew Herbert (released 16 October 2026) made entirely from samples of everyday food bank items such as pasta, cereal, tinned fruit, nappies and toilet roll, it represents the latest iteration of Herbert’s long-standing interest in food and the systems that underpin it (Plat du Jour, One Pig, etc). 

The title of the album functions as a URL leading to an honesty-based tickbox system that unlocks a free download of the album in exchange for having made a donation, writing to your local MP, alongside additional information about how to contribute. 

This project is designed to be non-profit, and Matthew’s time and studio expenses creating the music is donated. We can’t expect this project to recoup its expenses from its income sources since the downloadable files are being given away for free. But if it does generate money via licenses or other usages, proceeds will be donated to grassroots organisations working in food poverty in the UK and internationally. We’ll communicate this as it happens, sharing where the money goes.

In order to get the album for free, please read and tick the following boxes (if you don’t live in the UK, please choose a comparable organisation that supports food poverty locally to you and write to a political representative from your country):


There are many organisations doing amazing things, these are some that have informed and inspired this project please look further into what they're doing if you can:
Independent Food Aid Network
Sustainable Food Places
Right to Food
Amnesty International: Dear Prime Minister, make the right to food and housing a reality
Hammersmith and Fulham Food Bank
Bite Back 2030
Fans Supporting Foodbanks
Fare Share
‘United to Guarantee Our Essentials’ (Trussell, Joseph Rowntree Foundation)
‘No Food in the House’ (Corbin Shaw)
The Brick
Newcastle Food Bank
Joseph Rowntree Foundation
‘Broken Plate 2026’ (Food Foundation)
Trussell
Sustain Web
Big River Bakery
Food and Solidarity
Feeding Britain
North Paddington Food Bank
WEN
Southwark Food Action Alliance

live dates
7 May 26 - Salle Playel, w/ Oneohtrix Point Never (Paris)
26 August 26 - MUTEK (Canada)
11 September 26 - Take The A-Train Festival (Salzburg)
12 September 26 - Transart (Cortaccia)
16 October 26 - The Ivy House (London)
+ more TBA

credits, references, organisations & further reading
written and produced by matthew ‘wishmountain’ herbert
written according to the rules of pccom
recorded and mixed at human jerky by matthew herbert with additional mixing by dilip harris at mancrush
mastered by alex gordon
additional production by momoko gill
most sounds recorded by dan pollard
some by matthew herbert
album artwork by bohannon herbert
press photos by inci uzel
press words by anton spice
published by instrumental Ltd - bucks music group (prs)
℗ and © 2026 Accidental
AC231
thanks to david holt, maddie carrol, gideon berger

matthewherbert.com
accidental.co
press enquiries: louis@accidental.co

1 Trussell, BBC, Commons Library
2 Equality Trust
* Trussell distributed over 2.6 million emergency food parcels in 2025 (Trussell, House of Commons Library), Trussell operated from 1,556 locations in 2025, and there are at least 1,172 additional independent food banks not counted in their figures.
** The Guardian
***  Commons Library
****  see (1), (2)