GRAMMY CHEW:
THE WET LEG EFFECT

Breakout hits such as “Chaise Longue” and “Wet Dream” have sparked considerable Grammy buzz for British indie rock duo Wet Leg, who earned their first #1 in the U.K. with their eponymous self-titled debut studio album, released via Domino in April.

Hailing from the Isle of Wight, Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers formed Wet Leg in 2019 and in the 15 months since releasing their debut single “Chaise Longue”—which peaked #15 at Alt radio after nine months of airplay and is currently in Power rotation at KROQ—they’ve garnered more than 140m global streams, sold 250k+ albums and are currently heading Top 20 at Alt radio with “Wet Dream.”

Their debut album was shortlisted for Album of the Year at the 2022 Mercury Prize, where they were set to perform prior to the event’s postponement to later this month. It also earned critical praise from several publications, including The Guardian (four stars) and Rolling Stone (four stars), which described the pair as “two women with guitars, coming on fierce, cool, arrogant, lusty, funny, not the least bit apologetic. They’re the most exciting new rock chancers in years.”

The pair were catapulted into the spotlight thanks to their witty and unapologetic lyrics, effortless charm and modern references. “Chaise Longue”—which quickly racked up 3m streams in 2021 and now boasts 32m+ Spotify streams—makes a nod to 2004’s Mean Girls, while the “Wet Dream” music video cleverly references Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Lobster and “Oh No” digs deep into meme culture, painting a vivid picture for those who remember 2015’s viral video of a rat carrying a slice of pizza down the steps of a New York City subway station.

But there’s more to Wet Leg than their hidden pop-culture references. Their lyrics are pointed, even politically driven at times. They’re singing about the rapid nature of social media, and with that, capturing a wide range of listeners. They’re channeling mid-2000s college radio vibes while simultaneously pulling the ’80s and ’90s alt/indie rock elements that make them undeniably cool.

Following sold-out shows across the U.K. and festival slots at Lollapalooza, Glastonbury, Osheaga, Outside Lands, Life Is Beautiful and more, the band is currently on tour and supporting select dates for Florence + the Machine, including a performance at the Hollywood Bowl on 11/15. They’re also lined up play ACL, among other shows.

Wet Leg have earned cosigns from the likes of Elton John, Dave Grohl and Harry Styles, who not only covered the band’s “Wet Dream” via a special Live Lounge session on BBC Radio 1—which boasts 6m+ YouTube views—but also invited them to support him on the 2023 European and U.K. leg of his Love on Tour.

They were named a Spotify RADAR U.K. act, while “Angelica” was featured in Barack Obama’s Favorite Summer 2022 playlist, a coveted slot for emerging and established artists alike. But the accolades don’t stop there.

The pair won two trophies at the Libera Awards, both for “Chaise Longue,” and were honored with the U.K. Independent Breakthrough award at the AIM Independent Music Awards earlier this year.

Though most U.S. listeners were introduced to Wet Leg only in April, the duo recently revealed they’ve already completed a follow-up album. When that LP will arrive is unknown but until then, there’s plenty suggesting you’ll be seeing more of this dynamic duo, potentially even at the Grammys. Lest we forget, these twentysomethings caught the attention of fans almost instantaneously, and even with a bevy of buzz under their belts, they’re just getting started.

Photos by Holly Fernando