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Rhian Teasdale

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Rhian Teasdale
Teasdale in a white dress standing onstage with a guitar, smiling and looking to the right
Teasdale in 2022
Background information
Birth nameRhian Louise Teasdale
Born1992 or 1993 (age 31–32)
Formby, Merseyside, England
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter

Rhian Louise Teasdale (born 1992 or 1993) is an English musician. Born in Formby, she moved to the Isle of Wight aged eight and then to Bristol for her music career. Between 2016 and 2018, she released several singles as Rhain including "Solid Gold", which was developed with Plastic Mermaids. In 2018, she formed Wet Leg with Hester Chambers, who released the UK singles chart entries "Chaise Longue" and "Wet Dream" in 2022 and the UK Albums Chart topper Wet Leg in 2023. The year after that, she featured on Orlando Weeks's "Dig". Her voice has been compared with Kate Bush, Björk, and Joanna Newsom. In July 2023, Plastic Mermaids frontman Douglas Richards was criticised after making several allegations about Teasdale and Wet Leg.

Life and career

[edit]

Rhian Louise Teasdale[1] was born in 1992 or 1993[2] in Formby but moved to the Isle of Wight when she was eight.[3] Her parents were both in the merchant navy.[4] Rhys Buchanan of NME incorrectly asserted in September 2016 that Teasdale was from Iceland,[5] prompting her to use a December 2016 interview with 365Bristol.com to joke that this was due to the presence of "a secret tunnel that runs right through from Reykjavík to Sandown, [with the] entrance where Woolworths used to be".[6] Teasdale dropped out of her A-levels to undertake a music BTEC[7] at Platform One music college on the Isle of Wight.[8] On her first day, she met future bandmate Hester Chambers[9] and bonded with her over a shared love of Laura Marling, Patrick Watson, and Nordic music.[7] The pair later dropped out, with Teasdale taking posts as a waitress and then as a stylist, where she dressed characters for adverts.[10] She also spent a summer working at Robin Hill Country Park.[11]

Around age 16, Teasdale met Aled Chivers, the future founder of Chiverin, who later drew her to Bristol and signed her as Rhain.[a] In 2016, she released a single, "Humdrum Drivel", which Buchanan described as "every inch charming",[13] followed by another single, "Pavlova", which The Independent described as "stripped-back" and "featur[ing ...] unmistakable vocals fit with haunting piano accompaniment".[14] Around two years later, she released the single "Solid Gold", which she had developed with Plastic Mermaids,[15] a band fronted by Douglas Richards and containing his brother Jamie Richards.[16] She then released "Time Traveller", a song about her grandfather,[17] which she had previously performed for Burberry Acoustic in February 2017.[18]

On 2 September 2018, Teasdale and Chambers, having contributed guitar and piano to each other's works, were sitting on a Ferris wheel at that year's End of the Road Festival, when they decided to form Wet Leg together.[19] The band signed to Domino Recording Company in June 2021 and released "Chaise Longue",[20] followed by "Wet Dream" in September 2021. By the time of the latter's release, "Chaise Longue" had been streamed three million times and its video viewed over a million times.[21] The pair then released the double-A-side single "Too Late Now"/"Oh No" in November 2021,[22] followed by "Angelica" in February 2022.[23] That April, they released "Ur Mum"[24] and then the album Wet Leg,[25] which charted at No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart the same day "Chaise Longue", "Wet Dream", "Angelica", and "Ur Mum" entered the UK Independent Singles Chart. These peaked on that chart at No. 13, No. 7, No. 38, and No. 46 respectively, while "Chaise Longue" and "Wet Dream" would both additionally peak at No. 74 on the UK singles chart.[26] In June 2022, the band asserted that they had completed their second album.[27] The following year, they supported Harry Styles on his Love On Tour.[28]

In April 2024, Teasdale featured on "Dig" by Orlando Weeks, the former frontman of The Maccabees.[29] The track featured on his album Loja,[30] which was released the following June.[31] In an interview with Clash later that month, Weeks asserted that he had met the band when he performed before them at the Park Stage of Glastonbury Festival and that he had previously declined an offer for him to appear in a video. He also asserted that Teasdale recorded the track in person, as there was a weekend where Weeks was in the UK and Teasdale was visiting friends in the Isle of Wight.[32]

Artistry and personal life

[edit]

Teasdale's voice has been compared to Kate Bush, Björk,[6] and Joanna Newsom.[33] In a December 2016 interview, Teasdale noted that she had an eclectic taste in music as a teenager, listening to various artists, including A Tribe Called Quest, Arcade Fire, The Bees, Devendra Banhart, Björk, Joni Mitchell, and Scout Niblett.[6] She also noted she was inspired by "the attitude [...] of people that have just picked up an instrument, used their ears and made something that sounds good to them".[6] In July 2022, Teasdale announced that she had "a pretty good-looking girlfriend", and labelled herself as "queer…querying?".[10]

In July 2023, Douglas Richards used an article in The Sunday Times to claim that he and Teasdale had dated off and on between 2013 and 2019 and that, during the first United Kingdom COVID-19 lockdown, Teasdale returned to his house and would get "really furious with" him and would use "anything that she could to throw at [him] and make [him] feel shit". He also made a number of assertions about the origin of Wet Leg and suggested that several of their songs were about him, including "Piece of Shit".[34] For this, Consequence's Abby Jones concurred with Teasdale's assessment,[35] while Far Out magazine's Tom Taylor[36] and Glamour magazine's Chloe Laws responded by accusing Richards of misogyny[37] and The i's Rebecca Reid suggested his time would be better spent working harder and rebuilding better instead of wasting time "firing shots" at Teasdale's career.[38] In addition, The Forty-Five's Jenessa Williams criticised The Sunday Times for "gleefully leaning into the narrative that any successful female artist must have been hiding her secret male songwriter all along".[39]

Discography

[edit]
Main article: Wet Leg § Discography

EPs

[edit]
Title Details
Oscar November Echo
(Rhain)

Singles

[edit]

As lead artist

[edit]
Singles as lead artist
Title Year Album Ref.
"Humdrum Drivel"
(Rhain) 		2016 Oscar November Echo [40]
"Josephine"
(Rhain) 		[40]
"Pavlova"
(Rhain) 		[40]
"Solid Gold"
(Rhain) 		2018 Non-album singles [40]
"Time Traveller"
(Rhain) 		[40]
[edit]
Singles as lead artist
Title Year Album Ref.
"Dig"
(Orlando Weeks feat. Rhian Teasdale) 		2024 Loja[41] [42]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^
    • For the fact that Teasdale met Aled, see [6].
    • For the fact that Aled's name is in fact Chivers, see [12].

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Repertory - TEASDALE RHIAN LOUISE". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Archived from the original on 12 June 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  2. ^ "100% Wet Leg: the Isle of Wight duo who'd like to butter your muffin". The Face. 15 October 2021. Archived from the original on 26 November 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  3. ^ Greer, Jamie (13 January 2023). "Formby-born singer nominated for four BRIT awards". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  4. ^ Hodgkinson, Will (3 July 2023). "Why Wet Leg will be a Glastonbury 2022 favourite". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Archived from the original on 3 July 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  5. ^ Buchanan, Rhys (5 September 2016). "Five Bristol Artists Shaking Things Up Right Now". NME. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e Mason-Jones, Sam (2 December 2016). "The Sound of Bristol: RHAIN". 365Bristol.com. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Wet Leg: 'Chaise Longue was supposed to be just for us'". The Independent. 6 April 2022. Archived from the original on 11 August 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  8. ^ Dempsey, Jemma (7 February 2023). "Wet Leg deserve Grammy wins, says Isle of Wight music teacher". BBC News. Archived from the original on 12 February 2023. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  9. ^ "Wet Leg, the Brits stars named after Isle of Wight daytrippers". www.thetimes.com. 12 February 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  10. ^ a b "Soho House | Wet Leg". sohohouse.com. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  11. ^ Skinner, Tom (25 August 2022). "Wet Leg talk "disgusting" early jobs and making 'Chaise Lounge' in new Nardwuar interview". NME. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  12. ^ "Chiverin's Aled Chivers interview". Bristol247.com. 22 November 2014. Archived from the original on 3 June 2023. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  13. ^ Buchanan, Rhys (5 September 2016). "5 Bristol Bands Shaking Things Up In 2016". NME. Archived from the original on 3 June 2023. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  14. ^ Stolworthy, Jacob (3 November 2016). "RHAIN: Listen to the brand new single from the rising talent you need to hear". The Independent. Archived from the original on 3 June 2023. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  15. ^ "Rhain has debuted her new track, 'Solid Gold'". Dork. 22 May 2018. Archived from the original on 3 June 2023. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  16. ^ Morris, Damien (29 October 2022). "One to watch: Plastic Mermaids". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 4 July 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  17. ^ Oldfield, Emily (4 September 2018). "TRACK OF THE DAY: RHAIN – 'Time Traveller'". Bittersweet Symphonies. Archived from the original on 3 June 2023. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  18. ^ "Don't miss the sensational RHAIN when she plays live in Ventnor". On the Wight. 22 February 2017. Archived from the original on 4 August 2023. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  19. ^ Manzoor, Sarfraz (25 February 2022). "Meet Wet Leg, the British rock band to know now". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 3 June 2023. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  20. ^ Perry, Sally (15 June 2021). "Wet Leg: Isle of Wight duo sign to Domino Records and release their first single, Chaise Longue (updated)". Isle of Wight News from OnTheWight. Archived from the original on 17 June 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  21. ^ Aswad, Jem (28 September 2021). "Oddball British Duo Wet Leg Return With Their Second Great Single This Year, 'Wet Dream'". Variety. Archived from the original on 13 July 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  22. ^ Jones, Damian (29 November 2021). "Wet Leg announce debut album and share two new songs 'Too Late Now' and 'Oh No'". NME. Archived from the original on 13 July 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  23. ^ brimstin, chelsea (28 February 2022). "Wet Leg's new song 'Angelica' is 'laced with disenchantment'". Indie88. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  24. ^ Perry, Sally (1 April 2022). "Cheeky! Wet Leg's upcoming Ur Mum video sneaks in Isle of Wight in-joke: Can you spot it?". Isle of Wight News from OnTheWight. Archived from the original on 5 April 2022. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  25. ^ "6 clever pop culture references in Wet Leg's new album". The Independent. 11 April 2022. Archived from the original on 3 June 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  26. ^ "Wet Leg". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 1 July 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  27. ^ Skinner, Tom (21 June 2022). "Wet Leg reveal they've completed their second album: "It's in the bag"". NME. Archived from the original on 31 March 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  28. ^ Dunworth, Liberty (19 July 2023). "Watch Harry Styles play 'Wet Dream' with Wet Leg". NME. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  29. ^ Rigotti, Alex (29 April 2024). "Listen to Orlando Weeks' simmering new single 'Dig' featuring Wet Leg's Rhian Teasdale". NME. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  30. ^ "Orlando Weeks announces headline tour with new album LOJA whynow". whynow. 11 July 2024. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  31. ^ "Orlando Weeks - 'Loja' album review". faroutmagazine.co.uk. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  32. ^ "Building Anew: Orlando Weeks Interviewed | Features". Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews. 27 June 2024. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  33. ^ Empire, Kitty (30 October 2021). "Wet Leg review – an irresistible, stop-start blast". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 3 June 2023. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  34. ^ Glancy, Josh (3 July 2023). "My Wet Leg lover gave me the boot — and won't stop kicking". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Archived from the original on 2 July 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  35. ^ Jones, Abby (3 July 2023). "Ex-Wet Leg Member whines about not receiving songwriting credit: It's "tricky to feel happy" for them". Consequence. Archived from the original on 3 July 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  36. ^ Taylor, Tom (2 July 2023). "Wet Leg face misogyny as former member airs "dirty laundry"". Far Out. Archived from the original on 2 July 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  37. ^ Laws, Chloe (4 July 2023). "Wet Leg are award-winning musicians – they don't owe their success to a disgruntled ex-partner". Glamour UK. Archived from the original on 5 July 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  38. ^ Reid, Rebecca (2 July 2023). "Wet Leg are finding out that behind every successful woman is a man wanting credit". I. Archived from the original on 2 July 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  39. ^ Williams, Jenessa (13 July 2023). "Bitter boyfriends, Industry Plants and Nepo Babies – why are we so cynical about the new wave of women-led indie?". The Forty-Five. Archived from the original on 5 August 2023. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  40. ^ a b c d e f "Rhain Singles and EPs Discography". Spotify. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  41. ^ "Loja - Album by Orlando Weeks". Spotify. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  42. ^ "Dig feat. Rhian Teasdale - Single by Orlando Weeks". Spotify. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
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