Band: Wildernesses
Song: “[dread.]”
Album: Growth
Release Date: March 26th, 2026
Label: Floodlit Recordings
Purchase/Stream:
Singer Phillip Morris spoke of the track:
“‘[dread.]’ is a song about ‘the dread’ – anxiety, doom, or whatever name you want to give that feeling. The lyrics portray a narrator telling themselves they’re alright and the title’s parentheses are supposed to signify self-minimisation. Self-reflection sits alongside a conversation between two friends remembering drinking tinnies by the River Humber during Hull’s 2007 floods. The narrator reflects that there are worse things happening in the world and that all humans are just getting by – holding aspirations and throwing them away like cans in the mud banks. The song uses flood imagery to mirror men ‘manning up’ and the impact that ignoring emotional responses has over time – the overspill. It’s about striving to accept the feeling, which is an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) technique that I’ve always been bad at utilising myself.”
Drummer Ryan Browne adds:
“We put the video for ‘[dread.]’ together using footage collected over nine days on the road playing songs from Growth. Similar to the theme of the song, we all had some anxiety going into the tour – being away from home and living on top of each other naturally brings apprehension. But the reality ended up being something really positive. We genuinely looked after each other and it became a wholesome experience all round. Having a video that captures those moments – the shows, the travel, the work that goes into everything – feels really special.”