_The Lexington, London
_September 7, 2026
Wild Pink are one of those prolific bands with six albums under their belt in just under ten years, who keep churning them out but never quite hit the mainstream. My introduction to them was 2018's Yolk in the Fur, and the melancholy-tinged alt-country immediately hit as a great Pinegrove replacement in the aftermath of the allegations. Since then, the albums have progressed, veering into alt-pop Bon Iver territory with ILYSM, and settling on distortion-drenched, post-rock alt-country in the last two records Dulling the Horns and Still Coming Down. The last of which sees the four-piece on a short UK tour, finishing at London's The Lexington on a cloudy Monday night in September.
Before I continue, let me just say how much I love a two-band bill. As much as I love seeing live music, there's something tiring about trying to cram three or four bands into three to four hours. Two bands in a night gives both room to breathe, as well as giving me the welcome respite that I so crave in my old, elder-millenial age. Anyway, back to the gig. Supporting Wild Pink on their latest tour are newhvn. Born out of the demise of A Burial At Sea, newhvn play the kind of post-rock, post-hardcore that easily bring to mind bands like This Will Destroy You and So I Watch You From Afar. Unsurprising to find out that their previous iteration supported them, then. Dense, distorted textures, with sparse, but lilting, melodies, newhvn are an assault on the senses in the best possible way. Standing in the room, it's easy to close your eyes and just let it all wash over you, feeling cleansed by the chunkiness of it all. You can hear the influences of bands like War on Drugs poking through, but this is loud and cathartic. This feels like a band who would absolutely go down a storm at ArcTanGent, and I can see them continuing their current trajectory, as they storm through their half-hour set, making it feel like nothing at all and leaving me wanting way more.
Wild Pink are an unassuming live band. The last time I saw them (in this same venue, actually), it was all delicate melodies and gentle swaying. This time, the first strains of 'Dulling the Horns' heavy guitar says we're in for a different night. This isn't a band who work hard for stage presence. A few mumbled words between the third and fourth songs are all we get for the first half of the set, but it's ok when the music can do the talking for you, going between huge walls of sound and pulled-back sections with pedal steel and harmonica shining through. Frontman John Ross' lyrics are sparse yet hitting. He has a way with simple, devastating turns of phrase, like the gut-punch of a line on '500 is the new 250' about the brain being kind enough to trick you into feeling warm right as you're freezing to death.
There's a point where I sat down and closed my eyes about half-way through the set. My gig partner was worried I hated it, but it's the kind of gig where I want to just close my eyes and let it all flow through me. Wild Pink are a full sonic experience that should be filling stadiums. But while they're filling out 200-capacity rooms in London, I'm happy to be part of it.
Setlist:
- Dulling the Horns
- Box Store
- Round of Applause at the End of the World
- The Fences of Stonehenge
- Cloud or Mountain
- Relaxing, Special Interests
- 500 Is the New 250
- Eating the Egg Whole
- St. Catherine St.
- Bonnie One
- Plates Keep Spinning
- Sprinter Brain
- Still Coming Down
- Mask
