Wolf Alice have shared the folksy ‘Hit The Sky’, the last in their run of B-sides from ‘The Clearing‘ – listen below.
The new song is the third and final song on ‘The Clearing: B Sides’, following on from the delicate, piano-led ‘Gospel Oak’ and a cover of The Roches’ ‘Hammond Song’, which featured Sunflower Bean‘s Julia Cumming and Bria Salmena.
‘Hit The Sky’ is a stomping folk rock jam that features fiddle playing by James Gavin and it again includes Cumming on backing vocals. Originally recorded as a demo during sessions for ‘The Clearing’, the band returned to it a year later to complete the recording.
The full collection of B-sides is available digitally now, with a physical seven-inch version to follow on Friday (August 21), which you can pre-order here.
Listen to ‘Hit The Sky’ here:
Frontwoman Ellie Rowsell has said: “‘Hit The Sky’ is a demo we made in Seven Sisters that we revamped a bit with James Gavin on fiddle and Julia Cumming on BVs a year or so later. It’s about encouraging someone you love to be themselves, because you can see how fabulous they are!”
Wolf Alice fans first had the chance to hear ‘Hit The Sky’ when it received its live debut at the Royal Albert Hall in March, as part of the Teenage Cancer Trust concert series, where they also aired ‘Gospel Oak’.
Explaining the B-sides collection, Rowsell has called them “a few songs we made during ‘The Clearing’ that didn’t make it on the final record, but are ones we love very much – we’re happy to have found a home for them for you to hear”.
The band played a huge homecoming concert at London’s Finsbury Park last month, which NME was at and awarded five stars. “As they properly finish things off with the blistering ‘Giant Peach’, it’s hard not to feel thankful that Wolf Alice followed their own advice,” the review read. “They’ve been brilliant since the beginning, but over the years, have developed into one of the very best around.”
‘The Clearing’ became Wolf Alice’s second Number One album and earned them a record fourth consecutive Mercury Prize nomination, as well as a BRIT Award.
Speaking to NME about the record, bassist Theo Ellis said: “It was a challenge making this record, and it’s quite challenging to play some parts of it live. So to have that element of growth and not feeling like you’re resting on your laurels is really exciting. I feel like we’re pushing ourselves and there’s still stuff to reach when we play these songs.”
Wolf Alice are now set to support Olivia Rodrigo on the opening North American leg of her huge ‘Unraveled Tour’ later this year, alongside other special guests including The Last Dinner Party, Devon Again, Die Spitz and Grace Ives.
