London’s alternative rock band Wolf Alice have released their new single ‘Gospel Oak’ following their live debut of the song at their headline Royal Albert Hall show for the Teenage Cancer Trust back in March. 

‘Gospel Oak’ sees Wolf Alice take a folk-inspired direction, different from their distinctive guitar-heavy indie and alternative rock sound. The track is a stripped-back ballad with frontwoman Ellie Rowsell on vocals and piano, accompanied by guitarist Joff Odie. 

The beauty of ‘Gospel Oak’ lies in its simplicity; Rowsell’s soft vocals emphasise the piano ballad’s messages of separation and intimacy: “On a platform I wait for your train / Can you hear me I'm calling your name / But the wheels keep on turning / You don't see me waving”. The four short verses detail love and loss, with the song’s title rooted in the area of Camden’s Gospel Oak. 

The single’s production is reminiscent of ‘I Saw You (In a Corridor)’ from their 2016 album ‘My Love Is Cool (Deluxe Edition)’, another moving, stripped-back ballad from the band.

‘Gospel Oak’ is Wolf Alice’s lead single release for their upcoming album ‘The Clearing: B-Sides’, which follows their ‘70s-inspired fourth studio album ‘The Clearing’. The B-sides of the album are set to have their physical release on August 21st, with the band announcing in an Instagram post that “These are a few songs we made during The Clearing that didn’t make it on the final record, but are ones we love very much”. The three-track release will also feature ‘Hit The Sky’, another song debuted at their Royal Albert Hall show in March.

The four-piece earned themselves a Mercury Prize nomination and a BRIT Award nomination for ‘Mastercard Album of the Year’ in ‘The Clearing’, with the album also reaching number one on the UK charts. 

The release of ‘Gospel Oak’ comes days before the band plays London’s Finsbury Park on Sunday 5th July for their biggest headline show to date, alongside The Last Dinner Party, Lykke Li, Rachel Chinouriri, and more. 

Beth Hibbard

@bethhibbardd

Image: Rachel Fleminger Hudson

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