London-based alt-rock band Wildernesses continue their ascent with the release of their powerful new single / video, ‘[dread.]’. The track is taken from their acclaimed debut album Growth which is out now via Floodlit Recordings. Emerging as one of the UK underground’s most compelling new voices, Wildernesses have quickly earned praise for their emotionally devastating blend of post-rock scale, shoegaze haze and intimate storytelling, with recent reviews describing Growth as “one of the most wonderfully understated yet brilliant albums of 2026” and “a captivating listen as beautiful as it is heartbreaking.”
Featuring footage captured across the band’s recent UK album tour, the video for ‘[dread.]’ offers an unfiltered look into life on the road marked by long drives, endless DIY merch preparation, cramped backstage moments and the deep camaraderie formed between band members. As always with Wildernesses, the visuals mirror the song’s emotional core with anxiety hidden beneath every day humour, silence and routine.
Order Growth here: Floodlit Recordings // Bandcamp
Vocalist Phillip Morris comments on the track: “‘[dread.]’ is a song about ‘the dread’ – anxiety, doom, or whatever name you want to give that feeling. The lyrics portray a narrator telling themselves they’re alright and the title’s parentheses are supposed to signify self-minimisation. Self-reflection sits alongside a conversation between two friends remembering drinking tinnies by the River Humber during Hull’s 2007 floods. The narrator reflects that there are worse things happening in the world and that all humans are just getting by – holding aspirations and throwing them away like cans in the mud banks. The song uses flood imagery to mirror men ‘manning up’ and the impact that ignoring emotional responses has over time – the overspill. It’s about striving to accept the feeling, which is an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) technique that I’ve always been bad at utilising myself.”
Drummer Ryan Browne adds: “We put the video for ‘[dread.]’ together using footage collected over nine days on the road playing songs from Growth. Similar to the theme of the song, we all had some anxiety going into the tour – being away from home and living on top of each other naturally brings apprehension. But the reality ended up being something really positive. We genuinely looked after each other and it became a wholesome experience all round. Having a video that captures those moments – the shows, the travel, the work that goes into everything – feels really special.”
Growth Tracklisting:
- Sleepless
- Happy Hollow
- [dread.]
- English Darkness
- Terrible Bloom
- Maintenance
- Cassino
- Four Hour Drive
- Summertime, 1917
Since first emerging with breakthrough singles ‘Four Hour Drive’ and ‘English Darkness’, Wildernesses have steadily built a reputation for crafting expansive, emotionally resonant songs rooted in lived experience. ‘Four Hour Drive’ explored family lineage and inherited memory through the lens of a 1957 photograph of Morris’ father and grandfather, while ‘English Darkness’ confronted mental health with stark vulnerability in a striking visual directed by Stewart Baxter, known for his work with IDLES. Later singles ‘Maintenance’ and ‘Summertime, 1917’ further expanded the band’s cinematic worldbuilding, weaving together themes of ritual, hidden histories and fragile human connection.
Recorded with producer Joe Clayton at NO Studio in Manchester, Growth spans nine immersive tracks balancing shimmering post-rock crescendos, slow-burning alt-rock tension and intimate folk-inspired lyricism. Critics have praised the record’s “settled confidence”, “cinematic quality” and “gargantuan amount of feeling”, with comparisons drawn to acts such as Slowdive, Explosions in the Sky and The National.
With ‘[dread.]’, Wildernesses continue to carve out a space entirely their own, one where memory, grief, humour, anxiety and hope blur together inside towering yet deeply human soundscapes. As their audience continues to grow through word-of-mouth acclaim and emotionally charged live performances, the band are set to bring songs from Growth to audiences across the UK throughout the year, culminating in an appearance at ArcTanGent Festival this August alongside some of the most exciting names in alternative and experimental music. For a band whose music thrives on atmosphere and connection, Wildernesses’ live shows are fast becoming essential viewing. Live dates are listed below.
Catch Wildernesses live:
Jun 26 – The Black Heart, London (with Million Moons/Civil Service)
Aug 21- Arctangent Festival
Oct 3rd – Crowded Festival, Leicester
WILDERNESSES are:
Phillip Morris – vocals, guitar
Sam Howe – guitar
Mark Portnoi – bass
Ryan Browne – drums
WILDERNESSES online:
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