Wrest are a Scottish folk rock band, formed in 2017. Singer and guitarist Stewart Douglas hails from Falkirk, whilst the remaining members are from Dumfries; the band is now based in Edinburgh.[1] The band is unsigned and release their own music; they set up their own promotions company to book shows which now manages bookings for many other acts in the UK.[2] They have released three full-length albums and a number of EPs and singles.
Wrest | |
|---|---|
 Wrest playing at The Thekla, Bristol in April 2024 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Dumfries and Falkirk, Scotland |
| Genres | Folk rock, Indie rock, indie folk[1] |
| Years active | 2017–present |
| Members | Stewart Douglas Stephen Whipp Craig Robertson Jonny Tait |
| Website | wrest |
History
editWrest released their first single "Adventurers", in 2017. Two further singles, "Hope Springs" and "Human" followed, the latter being placed by Spotify on playlists which widened the band's reach,[1] prior to the release of debut album Coward of us All in 2019.[3] Despite a number of fine reviews, including being named "Scotland's best new band" by the Border Telegraph[4] the band's plans were interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which cancelled nearly all their shows for 18 months.[3]
The band used the time to record a second album, End All The Days.[3] and toured it across the UK and Europe for the next two years, including sold-out shows in the UK - such as Edinburgh's 900-capacity Queen's Hall and Glasgow Garage - as well as places such as Berlin, Hamburg and Dusseldorf.[5]
In 2024 the band released their third album, Everything's Nothing Forever Again, and culminated a tour by selling out Glasgow's 1,900-capacity Barrowland Ballroom.[2] Douglas commented that "Opportunities like headlining Barrowlands simply would not be available to us if we were relying on promoters and industry backing."[5]
Discography
editAll music is self-released.[6]
Albums
edit- Coward of Us All (2019)
- End All The Days (2022)
- Everything's Nothing Forever Again (2024)
EPs
edit- A World That Has Left You Unspoken (2020)
- Bedtime Rhymes (2023)
Singles
edit- "Adventurers" (2017)
- "Hope Springs" (2018)
- "Human" (2019)
- "A Perfectly Spherical World" (2020)
- "Blood" (2020)
- "Second Wind" (2021)
- "Medicine" (2021)
- "Bold" (2021)
Members
edit- Stewart Douglas - vocals, guitar
- Stephen Whipp - guitar
- Craig Robertson - bass guitar
- Jonny Tait - drums
References
edit- ^ a b c McBay, Nadine (15 August 2019). "No Wrest for the wicked as 'hobby band' sell out several shows". The National. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ a b "Unsigned band wrest sell out 2,000 capacity Barrowland Ballroom". What's On Glasgow. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
- ^ a b c Young, Matt. "NEWS: Wrest @ The Georgian Theatre". NARC. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
- ^ Knox, David. "Wrest assured of Scotland's best new band coming to Gala". Border Telegraph. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
- ^ a b Blackburn, Julie (1 March 2024). "Wrest play Peel". Isle of Man Today. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
- ^ "Wrest". Bandcamp. Retrieved 7 April 2024.