Wet Leg

British indie rock band From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wet Leg are an English indie rock band from the Isle of Wight, founded in 2019 by Rhian Teasdale (vocals, guitar) and Hester Chambers (guitar). The band also includes Josh Mobaraki (guitar, keyboards), Ellis Durand (bass) and Henry Holmes (drums).

OriginIsle of Wight, England
Genres
Years active2019–present
LabelDomino
Quick facts Background information, Origin ...
Wet Leg
Wet Leg performing in 2025
Wet Leg performing in 2025
Background information
OriginIsle of Wight, England
Genres
Years active2019–present
LabelDomino
Members
  • Rhian Teasdale
  • Hester Chambers
  • Henry Holmes
  • Josh Mobaraki
  • Ellis Durand
Past members
  • Doug Richards
Websitewetlegband.com
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Initially a duo, Teasdale and Chambers debuted with the single, "Chaise Longue", in 2021. Their self-titled debut album debuted in 2022 at number one on the UK Albums Chart and Australia's ARIA Albums Chart. The album was shortlisted for the 2022 Mercury Prize. At the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, Wet Leg won Best Alternative Music Album for their debut and Best Alternative Music Performance for "Chaise Longue", and were nominated for Best New Artist.[1][2] They also won Best New Artist and Best British Group at the 2023 Brit Awards.

The band's second studio album, Moisturizer (2025), was written and recorded as a five-piece, with former touring members Mobaraki, Durand and Holmes all becoming core members of the band. Released to critical acclaim, the album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart.

Wet Leg have cited various bands and artists as influences, including Bombay Bicycle Club, PJ Harvey, the White Stripes, the Strokes, and Kings of Leon.[3]

History

Early lives and formation

Merseyside-born Teasdale moved from Formby to the Isle of Wight when she was eight.[4] She performed for many years on the Isle of Wight as a musician and pianist,[5] and prior to forming Wet Leg was known as RHAIN and was linked to the music scene in Bristol.[6] As RHAIN, Teasdale performed her song "Humdrum Drivel" in 2013.[7] In 2014, she was photographed by Cosmopolitan magazine while attending the Isle of Wight music festival.[8]

Teasdale and Chambers first met at Platform One College of Music on the Isle of Wight while studying.[9] After ten years of friendship, they formed a band in 2019 under the name Wet Leg,[10] and later signed with Domino Recording Company.[11][12] Several different explanations have been given for how the band got their name: in a December 2021 interview, they said that they chose the name by picking different emoji combinations;[13] in an April 2022 YouTube interview, the band said it came from an Isle of Wight slang to describe non-locals on the island - those who had crossed the Solent were said to have a "wet leg" from getting off the boat.[14] Former drummer Doug Richards, in a July 2023 interview, alleged that the name stemmed from a list of "stupid band names" that was added to "any time you’d think of a funny combination of words". He further alleged that the original "stupid band name" was Wet Book, but was misheard as Wet Leg.[15]

2021–2024: Debut album

Playing at the Electric Ballroom in 2022

The band's debut single, "Chaise Longue", was released on 15 June 2021,[16] and gained media notice for earning millions of streams and video views.[17] Their second single, "Wet Dream", was released on 28 September 2021. Variety noted, "It's rare that a new group releases two songs and they're both great". They appeared on Later... with Jools Holland on BBC2, on 30 October 2021.[18] On 29 November 2021, they announced their debut self-titled album, released on 8 April 2022 via Domino. The same day, Wet Leg released the double-single "Too Late Now" / "Oh No".[19]

In 2022, they toured the UK playing songs from their first album. It was then announced that they would tour Australia and New Zealand as the support band for Harry Styles's Oceanic leg of Love On Tour in 2023.[20] Wet Leg appeared on Later... with Jools Holland in November 2021 and returned for the first part of his next series in May 2022.[21]

In an interview with Andrew Ford of ABC in Australia in July 2022, Wet Leg clarified that a comment about a completed second album in a previous interview[22] was "a big joke". "We haven't got a second album; we haven't had any time to write".[23]

Wet Leg received their first three nominations at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist, Best Alternative Music Performance for "Chaise Longue" and Best Alternative Music Album,[1] winning the latter two awards[24] They also won Best New Artist and Group of the Year at the Brit Awards 2023 where they performed "Chaise Longue" with the prog Morris dance troupe Boss Morris and their Morris beasts.[25]

Wet Leg performed at Coachella in April 2023,[26] where they were joined on-stage by Dave Grohl during their performance of "Ur Mum".[27]

On 6 July 2023, Wet Leg remixed Depeche Mode's track "Wagging Tongue", the second single from their Memento Mori album.[28] The track earned them the Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.

2025–present: Moisturizer

In March 2025, Wet Leg posted a new photo on their Instagram account with the caption "We’re so back", indicating that the band was set to return with new music.[29] Later that month, the band played a secret show under the name Uma Thurman at the Green Door Store in Brighton, during which they performed seven unreleased songs.[30] The band's single, "Catch These Fists", was released on 1 April 2025, coinciding with the announcement of their second album Moisturizer, released on 11 July.[31] The band were referred to in the album's press materials as "the Isle of Wight five-piece", indicating that long-serving touring musicians Henry Holmes, Josh Mobaraki and Ellis Durand had been formally inducted into the band as official members after four years together.[32] Alongside the release of "Catch These Fists" they announced a UK tour and a North America tour on their Instagram.

In December 2025, their song "Mangetout" was featured in the opening of episode two of the television show Heated Rivalry. Streaming of the song increased by 61% in the days after the episode's release.[33]

Members

Wet Leg performing at The Truman in Kansas City on 6 December 2022

Current members

  • Rhian Teasdale – vocals, guitars (2019–present)
  • Hester Chambers – guitars, vocals (2019–present)
  • Henry Holmes – drums, percussion, backing vocals (2024–present; touring musician 2020–2023)[34]
  • Josh Mobaraki – guitars, keyboards, backing vocals (2024–present; touring musician 2020–2023)[34]
  • Ellis Durand – bass guitar, backing vocals (2024–present; touring musician 2021–2023)[34]

Former members

  • Doug Richards – drums, percussion (2019–2020)[35]

Former touring musicians

  • Michael Champion – bass guitar (2019–2021)[36]

Timeline

Discography

Quick facts Studio albums, EPs ...
Wet Leg discography
Studio albums2
EPs1
Singles9
Music videos9
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Studio albums

More information Title, Album details ...
List of studio albums, with release date and label shown
Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
UK
[37]
AUS
[38]
GER
[39]
IRE
[40]
JPN
[41]
NLD
[42]
NZ
[43]
SWE
[44]
SWI
[45]
US
[46]
Wet Leg
  • Released: 8 April 2022
  • Label: Domino
  • Formats: CD, DD, LP, CS
118464104591114
Moisturizer
  • Released: 11 July 2025
  • Label: Domino
  • Formats: CD, DD, LP, CS
14102250681045
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Extended plays

More information Title, Details ...
Title Details
Apple Music Home Session: Wet Leg
  • Released: 4 February 2022
  • Label: Domino
  • Formats: Streaming
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Singles

More information Title, Year ...
Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
UK
[37]
UK
Indie

[48]
COL
Ang.
Air.

[49]
EST
Air.

[50]
JPN
Over.

[51]
NZ
Hot

[52]
US
AAA

[53]
US
Alt.

[54]
US
Rock

[55]
US
Rock
Air.

[56]
"Chaise Longue" 2021 7413181521 Wet Leg
"Wet Dream" 747192536
"Too Late Now" 35
"Oh No"[58]
"Angelica"[59] 2022 382241
"Ur Mum" 46
"Catch These Fists" 2025 9939108815279 Moisturizer
"CPR"[60] 85
"Davina McCall"[61] 13
"Mangetout" 6237453217
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
"*" denotes the chart did not exist at that time.
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Other charted songs

More information Title, Year ...
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
EST
Air.

[50]
"Pokemon" 2025 77 Moisturizer
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Music videos

More information Title, Year ...
Title Year Album Director
"Chaise Longue" 2021 Wet Leg Wet Leg
"Wet Dream"
"Too Late Now" Fred Rowson
"Oh No"[58] 2022 Wet Leg
"Angelica"[59]
"Ur Mum" Lavaland
"Catch These Fists"[31] 2025 Moisturizer Wet Leg
"CPR"
"Davina McCall" Chris Hopewell
"Mangetout" Wet Leg
"Pokemon" Elliott Arndt
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Tours

Headlining

  • UK and US Tour (2022)
  • "Moistourizer" UK, US and Europe Tour (2025)

Supporting

Accolades

More information Year, Award ...
Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2022 Libera Awards Breakthrough Artist/Release "Chaise Longue" Won [62]
Video of the Year
Best Sync Usage "Chaise Longue" in Gossip Girl episode 5 Nominated
AIM Independent Music Awards UK Independent Breakthrough Wet Leg Won [63]
PPL Award for Most Played New Independent Artist Nominated
Best Independent Track "Chaise Longue"
MTV Video Music Awards Push Performance of the Year [64]
Mercury Prize Album of the Year Wet Leg [65]
UK Music Video Awards Best Rock Video - Newcomer "Ur Mum" [66]
"Wet Dream"
MTV Europe Music Awards Best Push Wet Leg [67]
2023 Grammy Awards Best New Artist [1]
Best Alternative Music Performance "Chaise Longue" Won
Best Alternative Music Album Wet Leg
Brit Awards British Album of the Year Nominated [68]
Best New Artist Wet Leg Won
Best British Group
Best British Rock/Alternative Act Nominated
Ivor Novello Awards Songwriter of the Year Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers Won [69][70]
Libera Awards Record of the Year Wet Leg [71][72]
Best Alternative Rock Record
Marketing Genius
Best Live/Livestream Act US Tour 2022 Nominated
Best Remix "Too Late Now (Soulwax Remix)" Won
Video of the Year "Ur Mum"
2024 Grammy Awards Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical "Wagging Tongue (Wet Leg Remix)" [1]
2026 Grammy Awards Best Alternative Music Performance "Mangetout" Nominated
Best Alternative Music Album Moisturizer
Best Album Cover Moisturizer
BRIT Awards British Group Moisturizer
Best Alternative/Rock Act Moisturizer
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References

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