Wet Leg's blend of dry wit and minimalist-punk riffs started off as a joke between Isle of Wight duo Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers. However, reality soon hit with their debut single 'Chaise Longue' becoming an overnight sensation and clocking up over seven million streams to date. With the numbers initially seeming virtual, it took their set at last year's Latitude Festival to make it all feel real. Being amongst other musicians and seeing the packed-out tent sing along with the witty, Mean Girls-loving track made Wet Leg finally see themselves as legitimate musicians.
And it's been a long time coming. Teasdale and Chambers met over a decade ago at college, but the idea to make music together came after a drunken ferris wheel ride at End of the Road festival in 2019. Fun has always been the focus, so while drawing from 60s French Yé-yé movement, right through to Ty Segall's garage-psych frenzies and Björk's avant-garde pop, the excitement comes from their knack of telling a good story. Sharp-elbowed stomper 'Wet Dream' is the ultimate breakup track, crescendoing three-parter 'Too Late Now' documents the highs and lows of adulthood, and 'Oh No' makes light of the 3am doomscroll with its wiry yet driving melody.
The hype around Wet Leg is well deserved, and with their debut album 'Wet Leg' ready for release in early April via Domino (Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand), the glowing reviews from across the board are only set to multiply. In the meantime, Teasdale and Chambers are preparing for their UK tour dates, including an intimate stint around the country's independent venues as IDW ambassadors, and a full UK tour in April in support of their album release.