“They had a fantastic ’64 Strat that we would fight over. The first one in would get to use it”: Wunderhorse turned up to the birthplace of Nirvana's In Utero, borrowed some guitars – and made one of the year’s best alt rock records
What started out as a solo project is now a proper band with ties that go back to childhood, and Midas is the sound of an indie collaboration in full bloom
(Image credit: Polocho)
UK alt-rockers Wunderhorse started life as a solo project for singer/guitarist Jacob Slater, releasing their debut album, Cub, in 2022.
Its mix of ’90s-fueled punk and indie received uniformly strong reviews, leading Slater to find a collection of like-minded souls to take the music on the road. With their sophomore album, Midas, Wunderhorse have morphed into a fully collaborative unit, something Slater didn’t expect.
“In the past I recorded songs that I’d stockpiled, but none of them seemed right this time,” he said. “So we wrote half of the album together in the studio.”
And Slater is stoked with the results. “It’s the first complete body of work that I’ve done where I’m really proud of the whole thing. Harry [Fowler, guitarist] plays all the leads, and I cover the rhythm parts.
“We’ve known each other since we were 14, so we have a great connection. I’d write the bare bones of the song and he’d pick up his guitar and work things out on the spot as I was coming up with the song. He has a really good ear for that sort of thing.”
The album was recorded at Pachyderm Studios in rural Cannon Falls, Minnesota, birthplace of some classic albums from Nirvana (In Utero), Soul Asylum, PJ Harvey and more.
“We were told they had a great selection of guitars, so we didn’t take any of our own. We were too scared, as we’d heard so many horror stories about guitars, planes and airports. [Laughs]
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“They had a fantastic ’64 Strat that me and Harry would fight over – the first one in would get to use it. They had a cool old Esquire as well and a 335 that we used on two songs.”
For amps, producer Craig Silvey surprised Slater by suggesting he try an old Roland Jazz Chorus.
“I normally use tube amps, particularly a Fender Deluxe,” he says. “But the sound I got from the Roland was amazing, combined with a Maestro fuzz. I think it must have been a one-off, though, as I’ve since tried loads of Rolands, old and new, and none of them have come close to that one.”
By the way, the band’s name came to Slater while he was out walking his dog. “I just thought of the name, went home and Googled it to make sure I hadn’t pinched it, then saw all the stuff about an old ’50s TV show about Champion the Wonder Horse [the short-lived The Adventures of Champion]. When we start headlining shows, we might use the theme tune to come on stage.” [Laughs]
Mark is a freelance writer with particular expertise in the fields of ‘70s glam, punk, rockabilly and classic ‘50s rock and roll. He sings and plays guitar in his own musical project, Star Studded Sham, which has been described as sounding like the hits of T. Rex and Slade as played by Johnny Thunders. He had several indie hits with his band, Private Sector and has worked with a host of UK punk luminaries. Mark also presents themed radio shows for Generating Steam Heat. He has just completed his first novel, The Bulletproof Truth, and is currently working on the sequel.
