Wunderhorse

Few British rock bands have been shaped by a single songwriter as much as Wunderhorse, which Jacob Slater began as a solo venture during the COVID-19 pandemic. Slater left home at 17, spent five years in London and fronted the punk trio Dead Pretties until that group split in 2017. His influences, which he has named as Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Elliott Smith and Morphine, show in songs that critics have described as a warming mix of blues, garage and indie.

Their debut, Cub, came out on 7 October 2022 via Communion Music and was named among the best albums of 2022 by NME, Riot and Far Out. Support slots with Fontaines D.C., Pixies, Foals, Sam Fender and Declan McKenna followed, then a spring 2023 run of US dates and a Glastonbury set that summer. Midas, produced by Craig Silvey, arrived on 30 August 2024 and reached number 6 on the UK Albums Chart. In May 2025 Seb Byford, son of Saxon's Biff Byford, replaced Pete Woodin, and ‘The Rope’ went to Number 1 on several UK sales charts. Wunderhorse were named Best Group at the Rolling Stone UK Awards in November 2025.