With just two singles ‘Chaise Longue’ and ‘Wet Dream‘, Wet Leg’s Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers were catapulted from the Isle of Wight to sold out venues across the UK and packed-out tents at festivals. Now, the duo have unveil two new songs alongside news of their debut album. The album is called Wet Leg and will be released on April 8th 2022 via Domino.
The new tracks are called ‘Too Late Now’ and ‘Oh No‘. ‘Too Late Now’, a three-part showcases a more introspective side of the duo, twitchy percussion, bounding basslines scorched riffs and Teasdale insiduously rails against dating apps and TV in a messy, bleak world, before wryly settling on a bubble bath “to set me on a higher path“. On the glam-stomp of ‘Oh No‘, Wet Leg explore the 3am doom scroll.
Watch the video for ‘Too Late Now’ here.
Teasdale explains what inspired ‘Too Late Now’: “It is about sleepwalking into adulthood. I never imagined that my adult life would look the way it does and I guess this song reflects on some of the pressures and pulls of life. Sometimes I get really inside my head and everything can feel very overwhelming. I think this song is about accepting that life can feel a bit shit from time to time. Maybe don’t indulge that thought too much though. Just take some time for yourself. Take a breath. Have a bath. It might make you feel a bit better.”
Wet Leg was recorded and produced in the main by Speedy Wunderground’s Dan Carey (‘Chaise Longue’ and ‘Angelica’ were produced by Jon McMullen and Josh Mobaraki respectively). The album was mostly recorded in London, in April 2021, meaning they had a finished album before the world had even heard debut single “Chaise Longue” or played live. “I guess how it happened was unconventional,” admits Hester.
Right from the start of Wet Leg, Teasdale and Chambers focus was fun, and a dry sense of humour ripples through the album. “I wanted to write fun songs, I didn’t want to indulge sad feelings too much, I wanted to write stuff that’s fun to listen to and fun to play,” reveals Rhian. “But then, the sad seeps through, as well.”
“Wet Leg was originally just supposed to be funny,” says Rhian. “As a woman, there’s so much put on you, in that your only value is how pretty or cool you look. But we want to be goofy and a little bit rude. We want to write songs that people can dance to. And we want people to have a good time, even if that might not possible all of the time.”
Having already sold out their April 2022 UK tour, Wet Leg have confirmed a run of intimate UK regional dates as part of their role as Independent Venue Week Ambassadors. The band are also heading to the US next month for their first shows there and have now announced a March 2022 tour for North America before they head back to Europe for their May 2022 run.
Album tracklisting:
1. Being In Love
2. Chaise Longue
3. Angelica
4. I Don’t Wanna Go Out
5. Wet Dream
6. Convincing
7. Loving You
8. Ur Mum
9. Oh No
10. Piece of Shit
11. Supermarket
12. Too Late Now
The Independent Venue Week tickets will go on presale on Wednesday 1st December and on general sale on Friday 3rd December. Pre-ordering the album in the UK via the band’s store will give presale access to these dates.
Upcoming live dates
2021
7th December – Mercury Lounge, New York – sold out
8th December – Union Pool, Brooklyn – sold out
9th December – Baby’s All Right, Brooklyn – sold out
13th December – The Echo, Los Angeles – sold out
14th December – The Moroccan Lounge, Los Angeles – sold out
15th December – Popscene @ Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco – sold out
16th December – Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco *
17th December – Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles *
18th December – Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles *
* = with CHVRCHES
2022
16th January – Brixton Academy, London ^
19th January – Eurosonic, Groningen
20th January – Ekko, Utrecht
28th January – Yes Pink Room, Manchester – Independent Venue Week
30th January – The Joiners, Southampton – Independent Venue Week
1st February – Elsewhere, Margate – Independent Venue Week
2nd February – 100 Club, London – Independent Venue Week
3rd February – The Louisiana, Bristol – Independent Venue Week
3rd March – Amsterdam Bar and Hall, Minneapolis, MN
4th March – Empty Bottle, Chicago, IL
5th March – A&R Music Bar, Columbus, OH
7th March – Horsehoe Tavern, Toronto, ON
8th March – Bar le Ritz PBD, Montreal, QC
10th March – Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
11th March – DC9, Washington, DC
12th March – PhilaMOCA, Philadelphia, PA
14th March – Basement East, Nashville, TN
16th-18th March – SXSW, Austin, TX
20th March – Secret Group, Houston, TX
23rd March – Pabellon Cuervo, Mexico City, Mexico ^
25th March – Wise Hall, Vancouver, BC
26th March – Sunset Tavern, Seattle, WA
27th March – Vitalidad, Portland, OR
16th April – Newcastle University, Newcastle – sold out
17th April – The Mash House, Edinburgh – sold out
19th April – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds – sold out
20th April – Gorilla, Manchester – sold out
21st April – Trinity Centre, Bristol – sold out
23rd April – o2 Institute, Birmingham – sold out
24th April – Norwich Arts Centre, Norwich – sold out
26th April – Koko, London – sold out
27th April – The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth – sold out
14th May – Point Ephemere, Paris
15th May – Le Nuits Botanique @ Botanique Rotonde, Brussels
16th May – Jaki, Cologne
19th May – Doornroosje, Nijmegen
20th May – Rotown, Rotterdam
21st May – London Calling @ Paradiso, Amsterdam
24th May – Milla, Munich
25th May – Berghain/Kantine, Berlin
28th May – Neighbourhood Weekender @ Victoria Park, Warrington
9th July – TRNSMT @ Glasgow Green, Glasgow
^ = with IDLES
Photo credit: Hollie Fernando
