Wet Leg: Guitar Rock & Queer Love Songs
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Wet Leg’s sophomore album, Maman, has arrived, and with it comes a renewed sense of confidence and clarity for the indie rock duo. While their debut album, Wet Leg, catapulted them into the global spotlight, this new offering sees Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers embracing a more nuanced approach to their public presence and artistic expression. In a recent conversation, Teasdale opened up about the evolution of their dynamic, the personal resonance of queer storytelling, and her own comfort level with the promotional whirlwind.
A deeper Appreciation for queer Narratives
Teasdale reflected on how her viewpoint has shifted as the release of their first album, especially regarding the representation of queer relationships in media. “I think when I was a teenager, I probably just thought they were straight,” she admitted, referring to a film with a lesbian storyline. “Then seeing it again now, I appreciated it a lot more, obviously. There is this lesbian storyline that’s just one of the stories running through it; it’s not the story.I think it’s a bit more common now to have films with queer romance where that is kind of secondary to the lead storyline, and I think it just really obviously resonated with me a lot more now than I did when I was a teenager.” This personal connection to nuanced queer representation highlights a growing awareness and appreciation for diverse narratives within the cultural landscape.
Hester’s Shifting Role in the Spotlight
A noticeable shift in Wet Leg’s promotional strategy is Hester Chambers’ reduced presence in interviews compared to their debut. Teasdale explained this evolution as a natural progression for the duo.”Yeah, I think for now she’s just taking it easy on the interviews,” Teasdale said. “We did a lot of interviews (before); we’ve done some promo. And it’s just cool, with this album, having a bit more leverage, and also knowing ourselves better as well, and being like, “OK, this is what I really enjoy doing and this is what I don’t enjoy doing so much.” So we’ve both been able to ask for things and be like, “Can I do more of this? can I do less of this?” So, it’s a very cool position to be in.” This newfound ability to dictate their promotional workload speaks to their growing confidence and understanding of their individual needs and preferences.
Embracing the Promotional Cycle with a Positive outlook
When asked about her own feelings regarding the return to the promotional cycle, Teasdale expressed a sense of excitement, largely fueled by the positive spirit of Maman. “I don’t know. It’s exciting because I think it is like quite a positive album. You know? Generally speaking, it’s about love, and… I’m happy. And it’s an exciting and curious time…. It’s nice to have some…” she paused, searching for the right words.Her interviewer offered a supportive observation: “If you’ve got a project you’re happy about that has a positive spirit to it, and the public is out there excited about it, there are a lot of wins there…”
Teasdale readily agreed, adding a crucial insight into her personal growth. “Yeah, exactly what you said. And also, with the last album, when we were doing promo for it and I would pause like I just did, then I would probably get really freaked out about it, and maybe I would go away and worry about: “Oh, I talk so slowly.” So I’m a lot more comfortable with it now and I know what to expect a bit more. Sometimes I’ve just gotta peter off and not apologize for it!” This candid admission reveals a significant step in Teasdale’s self-acceptance, demonstrating a newfound comfort with her own pace and presence in the public eye. The ability to simply “peter off” without apology is a testament to her evolving confidence and her commitment to authentic self-expression.