Manchester trio The Orielles have shared a new single titled ‘Wasp’, the latest preview of their forthcoming fourth album Only You Left.
The record is due for release on 13th March via Heavenly Recordings, continuing the band’s evolution from jangling indie beginnings into something more expansive and atmospheric.
‘Wasp’ follows a series of earlier singles from the album, including ‘Tears Are’, ‘Three Halves’, and the double release ‘You Are Eating A Part Of Yourself’ / ‘To Undo The World Itself’. Together, they hint at a record that leans into the band’s more experimental instincts while retaining their gift for melodic songwriting.
Discussing the new track, the band explained that its lyrics take an unusual perspective.
“Taking on another shift in viewpoint, the lyrics follow a miniscule wasp as it reaches the height of a mountain, one of nature’s grandest settings,” they said. “Inspired by the film Black Narcissus, we wanted to capture the feeling of questioning faith, purpose and the self when confronted by something so vast.”
By adopting the insect’s point of view, the song plays with scale and perspective, turning a tiny creature into a lens for contemplating humanity’s place in the natural world. The band add that the track ultimately points to a deeper truth about nature itself.
“The real sting in the tale is that it is nature itself that conditions the wasp to hurt us.”
The Orielles recorded Only You Left between Hamburg and the car-free Greek island of Hydra with long-time collaborator Joel Anthony Patchett. The sessions continued the band’s ongoing exploration of texture and atmosphere, drawing together strands of goth, shoegaze and art-rock influences.
Formed in Manchester, The Orielles are comprised of Esmé Dee Hand-Halford (bass and vocals), Sidonie Dee Hand-Halford (drums and vocals) and Henry Carlyle Wade (guitar and vocals). Across three previous albums they have steadily expanded their sound, most recently with 2022’s Tableau.
To celebrate the release of Only You Left, the band will embark on a run of UK in-store shows before a special headline performance at London’s ICA on 19th June, staged with the audience surrounding the band in the round.
Only You Left arrives on 13th March.
Tracklist
- Three Halves
- Shadow Of You Appears
- Tears Are
- Embers
- Tiny Beads Reflecting Light
- The Woodland Has Returned
- All In Metal
- You Are Eating A Part Of Yourself
- Whenever (I May Not Feel So Close)
- Wasp
- To Undo The World Itself
Photo credit: Neelam Khan Vela.
