about
The Wattles are a compelling female-fronted indie rock band from Australia, now making their mark in the UK.
The proudly independent act are Sydney-born and are now based in Brighton in the UK. Their songwriting pairs climactic, atmospheric arrangements with deeply honest lyrics, drawing comparisons to The Cranberries, Florence and the Machine and London Grammar. With emotionally driven songs that balance intimacy and power, The Wattles are quickly building momentum through sold out shows and their EP, Fooled.
Photo by Tom Wilkinson
Since 2020, The Wattles have been building a name in the Australian live scene, having played over fifty shows and independent festivals on line-ups with internationally-recognised artists like Reggie Watts, The Temper Trap, Gordi and Ash Grunwald.
They first received notable attention, both the UK and Australia, with their poignant single The Wrong Idea. The success of this track and video can be drawn to the raw and enigmatic video and honesty from lead singer Lucy Murray, as she lyrically dives into her experiences with consent.
Since arriving in the UK, they have headlined sold out London and Brighton shows, joined Holiday Mystics on two UK/EU tours and released their debut EP Fooled. This EP is the product of winning a recording opportunity at Golden Retriever Studios in Sydney, alongside acclaimed producer, Simon Berckelman. It was released with a conceptual 16mm film, created by acclaimed Australian filmmakers Jessica DiCosta and Harleigh English.
The Wattles have just returned from the independent music festival, Party in the Paddock in Tasmania, having joined a stellar line-up. Looking forward, there will be more UK shows and their first European tour.
“Capturing the same broad and shimmering aesthetic as acts like London Grammar and Wolf Alice, ‘The Wrong Idea’ makes for an extremely powerful listen.”
“The Wattles are building giant muscles over the top of their delicate skills, great lashings of tidal power to match their blatant technical talent. Just when you think you’re about to be gently tickled, you end up getting kidney-punched – which is quite the trick to pull off, and is not to be underestimated.”
“There’s something immediately spellbinding about the music of The Wattles.”
The Wattles are Lucy Murray (vocals, keys), James Suttor (guitar), Pat Hession (bass guitar) and Pete Heppell (drums).