After-school jams in cramped bedrooms is where it all started for childhood friends Ewan, Donnie, Jake, Rory and Leo, who eventually came together as waverley. in 2021. Guitar-led melodies wrestle with subtly contemplative lyrics which navigate multiple narratives, exploring love, melancholy and coming of age. Running throughout their work, though, is the recurrent theme of home – one which is gently cemented by their communal writing and self-recording sessions.
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Since 2021, they’ve played a string of gigs up and down the country – from Ardfern to Hackney – and have enjoyed regular appearances at Sofar Sounds, plays on BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Introducing and BBC Radio 6 and sell-out headline shows at Sneaky Pete’s in Edinburgh and King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow.
Founded upon dual lead vocals and fierce dynamic shifts, the Edinburgh-born band fuses indie rock with folk-rooted songwriting. Having been described as “Euphoric” by The Skinny and “Powerful” by Vic Galloway, their sound is distinctly unique: chilled-out riffs ground grungy percussion which rolls on with an arresting pace, while vocals effortlessly rise into the sort of euphoric releases that will transport you to someone’s shoulders in a festival crowd.
With their latest single release, waverley. mark a significant departure from their prior work – marking the return of the Scottish five-piece after the release of ‘Shore’ in early 2022 and following the poppier alt track ‘An Encore (All I Need)’ and darker ensemble ‘Missing Thing’. As punchy and catchy as their catalogue to date, but with changing time signatures and a considered, jagged melody to rear it into more leftfield territory, ‘Rest and Be Thankful’ was a true collaborative effort. The basis of the song was recorded on a trip to Loch Fyne, which features in the band’s self-recorded music video for the track: resembling a hazy dreamscape across Scotland.
“Their killer single Rest And Be Thankful places them squarely in the ranks of fine Scottish guitar bands at their unbeatable best…this is the real thing”
Tom Robinson, BBC Radio 6 Music
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