Wunderhorse reflected on the success of their second album ‘Midas’ and discussed their plans for new music at Glastonbury 2025 yesterday (June 27). Watch our video interview above.
The band played on The Park stage yesterday, continuing the momentum created by ‘Midas’ with a noteworthy performance.
Ahead of the set, frontman Jacob Slater spoke to NME backstage. “I’m just glad people were into it,” he said of the second record, which was released last year. “We sort of took a less commercial route, so I think it’s testament to the record that people still stayed with us and were into the slightly newer sound.”
The band shared their first new music since the release of ‘Midas’ with the single ‘The Rope’ earlier this month. “It was just one of those things that just happened very quickly,” Slater explained. “I’m trying to maybe write something a little more hopeful these days. ‘Midas’ was pretty bleak, so maybe that’s the bridge to whatever we’re gonna do next.”
Asked why he wanted to write more hopeful songs now, he said: “You can’t do the same thing forever and maybe hope’s a bit more out of our comfort zone – and I think you should always be a bit out of your comfort zone in terms of what you’re writing.”
More new music is in the works , with the frontman confirming they had been working on fresh cuts. “There’s a few ideas flying around, but nothing concrete yet,” he said. “We’re just focusing on doing shows and getting those to a high standard.” Pressed for more details on where he wants to take the band’s eventual third album, Slater replied, “I’ve got a couple ideas but I’ll keep them under here,” pointing to the furry hat he was wearing.
Ahead of Glastonbury, Wunderhorse wrapped up their latest UK tour with their biggest headline show to date at London’s Alexandra Palace, which sold out months in advance. “That was surreal,” he reflected. “It sort of felt like it was someone else’s gig til the day. It was great. I tried to take a minute. Usually [at] those bigger shows, the adrenaline is very high and you don’t really remember much, so I tried to breathe a bit and take it in.”
Reviewing Wunderhorse’s Glastonbury 2025 performance, NME wrote: “The London band meet high expectations head-on with a set that’s searing and masterful, showcasing the best of their discography so far and what makes them such a vital act […] If they remain on this kind of form, Wunderhorse’s purple patch should continue for a long time to come.”
Earlier this year, the band went through a line-up change as bassist Peter Woodin was confirmed to have left the band. Fans spotted that the musician was not present for the band’s appearance on Later With Jools Holland, with Wunderhorse announcing his exit shortly after.
“It’s been a great seven years, but unfortunately our long-standing friend and bass player Peter Woodin will no longer be working with us moving forward,” the band wrote on Instagram. “We wish Peter all the best in his future endeavours.”
Glastonbury 2025 is headlined by The 1975, Neil Young, and Olivia Rodrigo. Last night, The 1975 closed out the Pyramid Stage and appeared to share a cryptic message at the end of their set.
As the band walked off stage, the word “Dogs” flashed up on the big screens. It was also seen on the front of George Daniel’s bass drum, leading fans to think it could be a hint for new music or the band’s next album.
Elsewhere, Lorde kicked off the first full day of music at Glastonbury 2025, delivering a secret set on the Woodsies tent. Lewis Capaldi later made a triumphant return to the Pyramid Stage with his own secret set, following his premature exit from the festival in 2022, and actor Peter Capaldi joined Franz Ferdinand for a surprise appearance during the band’s Other Stage performance.
Check back at NME here for the latest news, reviews, interviews, photos and more from Glastonbury 2025.