The soundtrack to our Friday is the stunning new single from London-based pop-punk trio Dream Wife – ‘Leech’ – out now via Lucky Number records.

‘Leech’ is the first new music from Dream Wife since the release of  ‘So When You Gonna…’, the band’s 2020 album, and it signals a much harder, visceral sound than we’ve known from the Wives.

”‘It‘s an anthem for empathy and for solidarity. As our first song to be released in a while, we wanted to write something that feels like letting an animal out of a cage. It’s out. And it’s out for blood.” 

Dream Wife

A driving, building, menacing rhythm from guitarist Alice Go and bassist Bella Podpadec accompanies vocalist Rakel Mjöll’s Sprechgesang delivery:

“Do you hide behind the position you hold? Do you hide behind the illusions of power, the perception of power?” 

The beast emerges, and emits a guttural scream: 

“The leech is out for blood!” 

A threat of blood and a plaintive call for empathy – this song could apply to so many situations we find ourselves in in this permacrisis world. But the Wives particularly have the patriarchy in their crosshairs:

“Nobody really wins in a patriarchal society. We all lose. We could all use more empathy.“

To accompany the single, they have announced a London show at Peckham Audio on Friday 25 November. See you there!