The sophomore album from the English band is a raw, unflinchingly passionate display of pain, suffering and a longing for something more. Speaking to Atwood Magazine last year frontman and songwriter Jacob Slater discussed the song ‘Superman’, he explained the meaning behind the person fabricated within the song. “In reality, he’s just working late in an office somewhere, in a job that he hates. But in his head, he’s drifting up through the air vents and going up into the night, and flying through the night sky.” For me thai captures perfectly the feeling you get listening to the tracks on ‘Midas’. The sensation of disconnect from reality, the unfathomably common feeling of being unhappy with regular, 9-5 life. I think that’s why people appreciate the album so much, the visceral lyricism and the nakedness of the music.

The group took to Instagram to thank fans this morning, captioning the post, ‘‘One year of Midas. What a ride. Thank you x’’. 

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Fans on the mailing list also received a link to a voice message from frontman Jacob Slater. He said  “Hey, it’s Jacob from Wunderhorse, our record ‘Midas’  came out a year ago. I just want to say thank you to all the fans who’ve stuck with us over the years or joined us along the way. We hope to see you all at a show very soon.”

Wunderhorse were limited to intimacy in 2024 playing academy’s and student unions, but what this gave birth to were intimate sessions of discovery leading to thousands falling in love with a band they could call their own. The raw talent and the bona fide emotion was infectious, the booming vocals and the crashing, chaotic synchrony of the four men on stage left no doubt in my mind Wunderhorse were on a one way track to stardom.

Last year you would have been in a crowd of around 1,500, so seeing them less than a year later play to around 10,000 dedicated supporters at Alexandra Palace was in many ways incredible, but in no way shocking.

The group have since released single ‘The Rope’, which could mark the paving of a more hopeful path for Wunderhorse’s sound and lyricism. The limited edition vinyl sold out in minutes, and the song was even compensated with a live performance on ‘BBC’s Later with Jools Holland’, alongside a band by the name of Pulp… not bad company.

The next stop for the band is Auckland in early September as they take their chaos down under. With regards to new music, Slater hinted in an interview at Glastonbury that there are “a few ideas flying around, but nothing concrete yet.”

In light of the ascension post-‘Midas’, 2026 could well be the year of the horse.

The release of the single marks the first piece of new music since the untimely departure of long term bassist, Peter Woodin. Fans were quick to notice the absence of Peter on the early dates of Wunderhorse’s current UK tour. The more eagle-eyed fans also noticed quite quickly that Peter Woodin’s replacement looked rather familiar. Seb Byford, singer in band Sun King, who supported Wunderhorse on their 2023 headline UK tour, appears to be the new addition to the band.

Peter Woodin took to instagram to announce his recent departure, saying, “Thank you, and see ya on the next one.” Whilst Wunderhorse themselves stated, “It’s been a great 7 years, but unfortunately our long-standing friend and bass player Peter Woodin will no longer be working with us moving forward. We wish Peter all the best in his future endeavours.”

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New single ‘The Rope’ is set to get the full vinyl treatment, with a limited run of 7”, backed with ‘Arizona (Acoustic)’, available for pre-order from 10AM on the 3rd of June.

Recorded at RAK Studios in London with producer Loren Humphrey (Tame Impala, Florence + The Machine), ‘The Rope’ was finished and recorded just a few weeks before the band set off on their recent UK tour, according to a press release.

The song got its official debut with a performance on Later With Jools Holland on June 1st. Wunderhorse’s debut album ‘Cub’ was an instant success and was the catalyst for the band’s growth until the much anticipated release of their sophomore album, ‘Midas’, which did not hold up to the same critical acclaim as ‘Cub’, but quickly gained popularity amongst Wunderhorse’s eager fanbase nonetheless.

Tom Morgan of Clash magazine commented, “There’s a very fine line between pared-down and underdeveloped, and several tracks on ‘Midas’ tip in the wrong direction.” in response to Wunderhorse’s 2024 album ‘Midas’.  

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The band have just finished a 6 date tour across the UK & Ireland and now set off for a mammoth run of 40 shows, spanning Europe, the US and Australia.

Wunderhorse are also set to play Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds, and TRNSMT festivals this summer.

Originating in 2014 as a scheme to provide direct financial support to independent acts, MEGS has allowed acts to use high-quality marketing and promotional compaigns abroad, in an attempt to attract new fans overseas, create bigger touring opportunities and generate revenue. These outcomes broaden the UK’s music export potential, giving UK artists access to global markets, fine-tuning the UK music industry with fresh talent to revitalise the British economy.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy spoke about the benefits of MEGS, stating: “The Music Export Growth Scheme has helped so many of our talented homegrown artists launch their careers internationally. As part of our Plan for Change, we are supporting our creative industries to reach their full potential including through this latest round of funding, which will help the next generation of artists to tour abroad, market themselves to new audiences and showcase the best of British culture and creativity to the world.”

British music is going global!

We’re thrilled to announce the 58 recipients of funding from Round 23 of the Music Export Growth Scheme! In partnership with @DCMS and @biztradegovuk

Can you see your favourite artist?

Read more about MEGS here: https://t.co/1lIJoSjMcBpic.twitter.com/T4mFoYP89w

— BPI (@bpi_music) March 8, 2025

Supporting thousands of musical acts across all genres since it’s ascension, MEGS has assisted in the creation of international careers of Jungle, Ezra Collective, Dave, beabadoobee and so many more.

Acts apply for grants ranging from £5,000 to £50,000 to facilitate efforts to launch their career’s overseas.

The news of this year’s scheme not long follows its negative attention in the media after Irish hip-hop trio KNEECAP took the UK government to court, after their application for the grant in 2023 was declined early last year. The group won the legal battle, on the grounds of discrimination, which alerted to the dangers of the scheme being hyper-politicised as it became apparent the then-Conservative government opposed KNEECAP’s application based on their fervent pro-Ireland stance, highly provocative and politically-charged musical content.

The Irish band Kneecap have won a discrimination case against the UK government.

The trio launched legal action after the former business secretary Kemi Badenoch withdrew their arts grant.

Kneecap claimed this discriminated against them because of their political opinions. pic.twitter.com/QAh9ydNNcY

— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) November 29, 2024

This year’s £1.6 million is the most the scheme has ever given away to its participants, this comes at a time where the government are focusing on their upcoming Industrial Strategy to promote growth in the UK’s creative industries. The sector reportedly employs more than 2.4 million people and is worth almost £125 billion to the UK economy.

When speaking on the UK Creative Industries Sector Gareth Thomas, Minister for Exports and Small Businesses, said: “The UK has always led the way with its world-renowned musical acts, and this funding is vital to supporting smaller music companies to seize opportunities abroad. Not only will this help shine a spotlight on the best of British talent globally, but it will drive exports aboard, amplifying growth at home in the UK.”

This year’s eclectic mix of beneficiaries of the Music Growth Export Scheme include: Blossoms, Lambrini Girls, Matt Maltese, Nova Twins, Soft Play, Wunderhorse and more. You can find the full list here.

The newly announced shows kick off on 24 May at the O2 Academy Birmingham, followed by stops at O2 Academy Glasgow on 27 May and O2 Victoria Warehouse in Manchester on 28 May. Tickets for the additional dates will go on sale here this Friday, 8 November at 10am GMT, with presale access available for fans who sign up via the band’s website. O2 customers will also receive priority access starting Wednesday, 6 November.

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The tour follows the success of Wunderhorse’s latest album, Midas, released this year, with which the band offered a crunchier, garage-inspired sound, departing from moodier grunge tones of their earlier work. The Alexandra Palace performance in London marks the culmination of Wunderhorse’s UK tour and will be their biggest headline show to date. Known for their grunge-inspired guitars and high-energy live shows, Wunderhorse has quickly become recognised for Slater’s intense, mumbled vocals recalling a Lou Reed-Mark Knopfler hybrid.

Midas, which reached the Top 10 in the UK album charts and met strong reviews. Hotpress called the album “a masterful effort from Wunderhorse, marking their transformation from indie upstarts to major rock contenders.” The review praises the band’s “fiercely detailed” and “grunge-infused” sound, describing the album as both “refined and ambitious”.

Frontman Jacob Slater has described their recording approach as “very imperfect, very live, very raw.” The record is their second, following the success of their debut album Cub in 2022, and has solidified their presence in the UK music scene, with notable media coverage and live appearances boosting their profile further.

In addition to their UK tour dates, Wunderhorse has seen a steady rise in popularity internationally. This year, the four-piece performed at the BBC Introducing stage at Reading Festival, drawing a record crowd of 7,000, and secured several high-profile support slots, including as an opener for Sam Fender’s arena tour. Their viral on-stage energy and performances have earned them a growing fanbase, particularly on social media, where videos of their shows often capture the attention of viewers across multiple generations of rock enthusiasts.

Wunderhorse’s recent tours have seen them play alongside fellow rock contemporaries Fontaines D.C., joining them for several European shows. This collaboration will continue in 2025 with Wunderhorse supporting Fontaines D.C. in Oceania, performing dates across Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. The band has also gained traction in the United States, with a tour planned there for 2025 and a recent appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert furthering their visibility abroad.

Falling on the same night of the 2024 BRIT awards, Wunderhorse took to the stage last Saturday to rapturous applause. The legendary 700-year-old pub announced the secret set just hours before the group were scheduled to perform, causing fans to scramble to purchase last-minute tickets. Fronted by singer-songwriter Jacob Slater, his distinctive rough and ready vocals and razor-sharp lyricism are hard to shake off. Slater’s gritty on-stage persona is reminiscent of blistering American garage bands, causing him to launch into a series of rage-fuelled outbursts, only to lose him again in a 90s psychedelic fog.

The Hertfordshire-born musician had made the decision to exit his old band Dead Pretties in 2017, a path that would eventually lead him to form his next project Wunderhorse, releasing their debut, critically-acclaimed album ‘Cub‘ in October 2022, a beautiful yet bloodied catalogue of teenage misadventure. The past two years have seen Slater build up a fair amount of mileage, having scored not only glowing album reviews and international recognition, but rather ironically his first ever acting role as Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook in Danny Boyle’s tv miniseries Pistol.

A multifaceted writer and instrumentalist, Slater has also curated his own separate solo project, releasing his first ever record ‘Pinky, I Love You‘ in August 2023, another deeply personal and tender account of youth driven by a rousing, prog-rock sound. On February 5, the band announced they will be performing at Isle of Wight, TRNSMT, Boardmasters and Reading and Leeds festival this summer.

As of last weekend, they also shared they will be headlining Dot To Dot Festival in May alongside Irish electronic duo Jockstrap, and Brighton’s The Great Escape festival accompanied by other major acts such as Faye Webster and SOFTPLAY. Great Escape Fest is known for showcasing the biggest and brightest up and coming artists from around the country, with over 150 acts set to take part in different venues across the city.

Wunderhorse took to Instagram last month to lift the lid on new music, revealing they are currently in the process of recording their sophomore album, simply commenting: “Back on the road in March, new music in tow”. The four-piece will be supporting English singer-songwriter Declan McKenna on his 2024 UK tour this month, kicking things off at Cardiff University’s Student Union on March 23. You can purchase tickets here.

Since then he has released many new songs, each different from the last, that will go towards his debut album Cub due out on Communion Records on September 16th this year. His latest single “Leader Of The Pack” came out today and is another stormer from the surfer that usually calls Newquay his home.

Set up on a blistering guitar riff reminiscent of early naughties American rock, it’s an immediate foot stomper that really kicks up a gear when Slater’s chorus sings “Some people have a special kind of knack, Of getting what they wanted, Just to stab you in the back, 9 times out of 10 it’s the leader of the pack, Leader of the pack”.

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Speaking with Dork, Slater said: “Leader of the Pack is a song about betrayal, about not being able to escape the thing that eats away at you, it’s a song written as a means of getting even”, before further clarifying his current emotional status on Instagram by saying “I’m glad I wrote this when I was still a teenager, otherwise I would have probably calmed down before it came out of me“.

Maturity is certainly a hallmark of Wunderhorse and something Jacob has gone through many different guises to acquire. Previously the frontman of British post-punk band Dead Pretties, and now ironically starring in his first acting role as Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook in Danny Boyle’s “Pistol”, he is a multifaceted character that has seen many sides of the industry on his road to becoming Wunderhorse. His mileage seems to be paying off, with dexterous new music and slots supporting the likes of Sam Fender, Foals, Fontaines DC, and Sorry, his momentum and notoriety is building, especially as a live performer of which I can wholeheartedly verify having been blown away by his performance at The Lexington in London earlier this year.

In short, Wunderhorse seems to be a pony well worth backing, so make sure you hop on board and listen to his new single “Leader Of The Pack” before you fall behind.

You can catch him performing at his upcoming headline show this year at London’s Lafayette on the 20th of October. Grab your tickets here.