WILDES has announced her new EP Subsidence will be released on March 15th and has shared its lead single “heartbreak is silent”. WILDES is the London singer-songwriter recording project of Anglo-Irish musician and producer Ella Walker, who released her debut album Other Words Fail Me in January of 2023.

New EP ‘Subsidence’ finds Walker going back to her roots, self-producing and recording the entire project from her flat in Dalston, recruiting frequent collaborator Matt Wiggins (Adele, Florence and the Machine) to mix the EP.

“The EP centres around the abrupt end of a loving relationship that left me quite devastated and shocked,” WILDES explains. The new project is led by new single “heartbreak is silent”, a suitably subtle, oscillating song dutifully capturing her fractured emotions post-break up.

Previously noting PJ Harvey and Patti Smith as core influences on her project – “heartbreak is silent” showcases an alluring sonic evolution. With its heartbeat kick drum running throughout, building to a crescendo of muted electronics, WILDES’ grasp of tension and release, and her eloquent portrayal of her personal experience of romantic trauma (“Heartbreak is quiet for me / Not the crying in the rain it’s intended to be / Heartbreak is silent for me / Not the burning claret rage of a lover on their knees”) is remarkable.

Of the new single, WILDES said:

“”heartbreak is silent” captures a battle between myself and my emotions after the end of my last relationship. This particular heartbreak was quietly subtle from the outside, but raging and all encompassing within. He had no idea what I was going through – all he saw was the glossier veneer of social media. Heartbreak and grief are familiar to me, but they are heavy burdens that sometimes feel impossible to carry. This song is all about that duality”.

WILDES’ 2023 debut album Other Words Fail Me was more than a documentation of her artistry: it was a testimony of hard-won survival. Scraping together the shards of a world shattered, bloodied fingers and teeth gritted from catching herself on the sharp edges of realities she spent four years trying to ignore, at last, she has built herself an entirely new reflection. After a long period of false dependency ending with her leaving a controlling and abusive relationship.

WILDES grabbed the attention of Danger Mouse who became her publisher, and led to over 20 notable syncs on US TV shows like Suits, Scream and The Royals. On top of UK tours and supports with Isaac Gracie, Julia Jacklin, Hamilton Leithauser and more.

Wildes 2024 Tour Dates

17th March – Bristol, The Louisiana
22nd March – London, St Pancras Old Church
29th March – Leeds, Hyde Park Book Club

Order tickets for Wildes HERE