INDIE ACT TO WATCH: WET LEG

British indie-rock duo Wet Leg has had an impressive start. In April, their self-titled, Mercury Prize-nominated debut album charted at #1 in the U.K. and Australia; in November, the pair embarked on a sold-out tour, which included a date at London’s 2.3k-capacity O2 Forum Kentish Town. Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers have also performed on Jools Holland and Seth Meyers, supported CHVRCHES and Idles and come in second place in the BBC Sound of 2022.

Wet Leg first burst onto the scene with tongue-in-cheek indie-disco track “Chaise Longue” in 2021 and followed that up with the widely praised “Wet Dream.” The latter has since been covered by Harry Styles, whom the duo will support on his 2023 tour, and remained on the BBC Radio 1 A list for eight weeks. Wet Leg’s manager, Martin Hall, was introduced to the band via their self-made video for “Chaise Longue” and invited them in for a meeting in 2020.

He sent some demos out to a few labels and publishers, which led to a deal with Laurence Bell at Domino.

Ultimately, it’s the songs that make Wet Leg special, says Hall. “When you see a gig and think the majority of the set could be singles, that’s encouraging,” he adds. “It’s hard to find an act with breadth like that. On the first album, every song has the potential to
be a banger.” Domino and Hall have had international ambitions from the outset, and the band is making waves in the U.S., thanks in part to widespread support from KROQ.

“We’ve been busy all this year,” Hall understates. “It’s been unprecedented, really, the rapid rise, considering they only played their first show at Latitude the year before last. It’s been an amazing journey.” Nonetheless, in addition to the Styles tour, he has plans for Wet Leg festival plays and work on the next record.