Music Critic Jen Brooks introduces us to indie rock band Wunderhorse
The name Wunderhorse is set to appear across the summer in many festival line ups. They are performing at festivals such as the Isle of Wight, TRNSMT, Boardmasters, Reading and Leeds. Wunderhorse are creating a buzz; but who are they? Where have they come from? And what music do they make?
I first saw Wunderhorse live when they supported Sam Fender in Dublin last year. Their unique stage presence captivated the crowd and left us wanting more. Fans of bands such as Fontaines D.C and the Pixies will enjoy the sound Wunderhorse brings. They are a mix of punk and indie rock, the type of band you might hear in a grungy pub in a quiet spot of a big city. Their influences are obviously from the sounds of the 90s but also come with their own unique touches.
A man of many talents, the frontman was able to grow his solo project into the band we now know
Wunderhorse started out as a solo project by frontman Jacob Slater. TV fans may recognise Slater from Danny Boyle’s series, Pistol, which followed the growth of the Sex Pistols where he starred as the drummer Paul Cook. Slater may also be recognised from his previous work in the band Dead Pretties. A man of many talents, the frontman was able to grow his solo project into the band we now know. The band includes Harry Fowler, bassist Pete Woodin and drummer Jamie Staples and their first (and currently their only) album Cub was released in 2022.
For a taste of what Wunderhorse have to offer I’d recommend listening to these three songs on the album Cub: ‘Purple’, ‘Teal’ and ‘Leader of the Pack’.
‘Purple’
‘Purple’ describes Slater’s ex-girlfriend. In an interview with the Rolling Stones he explains how she had a difficult home life but he wanted to show her “there was something worth celebrating”. The song, like many of Wunderhorse’s other songs, has a catchy guitar riff and is accompanied by Slater’s clever lyricism. The song gives listeners a sense of hope after rough times with its steady build curated throughout. It is the perfect introduction to what the band have to offer as it shows the talent from all band members.
‘Teal’
‘Teal’ has listeners find themselves immersed in this and having feelings of empathy towards the situation
This song creates a sense of nostalgia whereby Slater tells a somewhat familiar story of bumping into someone from the past and shows the complexities that come with love at times. ‘Teal’ has listeners find themselves immersed in this and having feelings of empathy towards the situation. Again, as with the bulk of this album, there is a perfect blend of raw vocals along with the band’s incredibly hopeful sound. In my opinion this is, by far, one of the best songs on the album.
‘Leader of the Pack’
According the NME, betrayal is the theme of my final recommendation. The song is simple but catchy and it is easy to see why it was the single the band released to introduce the album. The guitar solo in the middle gives the classic garage indie band experience to listeners. What stands out in this song is the rhythm of the song, which helps to give the song its rugged sound.
Once a simple pandemic project created by Slater, Wunderhorse has developed into a band to watch in the coming months. The band are currently on tour supporting Declan Mckenna, helping to grow their popularity especially on Tiktok. On tour, many got to hear their new song ‘Midas’ which is a snippet of what their future sound will be. I am hopeful this will be released before their exciting festival season. Wunderhorse is the band you can say you listened to ‘before their big break’ and I recommend you do before its too late.
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