Wyldest announces new album The Universe Is Loading and shares single ‘Old Flame’

Wyldest has shared her new single ‘Old Flame’, the latest preview of upcoming album The Universe Is Loading, out 14th November.

Written after a visit to California’s Sequoia National Park in the wake of wildfires, the track parallels natural cycles of destruction with the way personal trauma can lead to growth. “The forest fires are natural to their ability to thrive in the environment,” Zoë Mead explains. “This got me thinking about trauma in the human world and how it could have the same natural tendency to occur and help with personal growth… you’re letting go of an old version of yourself and leaving it behind in a less progressive time, in order to develop and grow – much like the trees in Sequoia.”

Musically, the song moves from a flicker of guitar into a crashing, incandescent indie rock backdrop, as Mead’s voice cuts through imagery of scorched forests and collapsing relationships. The video, filmed on Ireland’s west coast in Connemara, follows her chasing and eventually releasing a vision of her past self against surreal coastal landscapes.

‘Old Flame’ follows earlier singles ‘All It Would Take Is A Phone Call’ and ‘After The Ending’, both of which also trace themes of estrangement, illness and resilience. Together, they sketch out the contours of The Universe Is Loading, an 11-track record that blends gothic horror, surrealism and sci-fi with songs rooted in love, grief and transformation.

Suggested product

'Mick' Fine Art A2 Print (Signed & Numbered by Denis O'Regan)

Accessory

£750.00

Suggested product

Donna's Festive Mug

Accessory

£15.00

Wyldest will tour the UK in support of the album across February and March 2026, with dates in Brighton, London, Manchester, Birmingham and beyond.

Editors’ Picks

• ★★★★★ Houghton Festival 2025 review | The sets, the sculptures, the sunrise moments
  Craig Richards’ 24-hour celebration of music and art continues to grow without losing its intimacy. We spent the weekend among the woods, lakes and late-night dust
• ★★★★☆ Black Coffee at Labyrinth on the Thames | Dance music finds sacred new ground in Greenwich
  South African house maestro Black Coffee opens Labyrinth’s bold new venture at the Old Royal Naval College, where deep grooves meet deep history. Surrounded by majestic architecture along the Thames, electronic music finds an unlikely – and inspired – new home.
• Chartreuse are a band held together by threads of love, grief, and poker played with pasta
  Chartreuse talk Iceland, old wounds, and the joy of sounding like themselves
• ★★★★★ Love International review | Croatia’s most magical festival still delivers
  What makes Love International feel so different? We spent five days in Tisno to find out
• ★★★★★ Fontaines D.C. at Finsbury Park review | Post-punk poets seize their moment with fire and feeling
  Fontaines D.C. staked their claim as the band of their generation, at their sold-out, 45,000-capacity Finsbury Park show
• 10 iconic Tiny Desk concerts that redefined live music
  These top 10 Tiny Desk gigs reveal the true essence of live music, with artists like Sting, T-Pain, Wu-Tang Clan and Jorja Smith delivering some of their most memorable performances

Keep up to date with the best in UK music by following us on Instagram: @whynowworld and on Twitter/X: @whynowworld