Get To Know : Wych Elm

Please introduce your band! (every member / what you do etc)

Our band is made up of three friends, Willow on drums and backing vocals, Jack on lead guitar and backing vocals and Caitlin on lead guitar and main vocals. Me and Jack are the main writers for wych elm and have built the visual world around wych elm based on our hobbies and interests outside the band. 

How did you all meet and form wych elm?

Me and Jack went to school together and once we were in college we started wych elm. We just wanted to play live around the local scene and it’s taken us much further and become so much more.

Who and what has inspired the band’s sound?

From the dawn of the band we’ve been inspired by grunge, anti folk, punk and garage rock like Pixies, PJ Harvey, Breeders, Vaselines, The Stooges, Tomahawk. Lyrically I’ve been inspired by poets like Anne Carson and Sylvia Plath. As a band we’ve always felt inspired by things that can bring on heavy emotions and have aspired to do the same by infusing the themes of our own lives as well. 

What's been your favourite gig that you’ve played to date?

My favourite gig to date was when we played The George Tavern halloween show with Sulk and Scarlett Wolf. It just felt like the spirit of wych elm was in me that night, and I had the most fun I’ve ever had.  

How have your musical tastes changed from when you first started playing to your latest release? 

I don’t believe our tastes have ever changed, just grown. I still love all the music we loved in the beginning but I do find I listen to a lot of softer and more haunting music now - rather than the more thrashy strange music that inspired me in the first place. 

Tell us about the Bristol scene at the moment, who are you excited about coming up through the ranks? 

We think Wyr put on an amazing live show, as well as The New Cut who are phenomenal. We’re collectively very excited to see where these bands go. 

What does the rest of 2025 hold for you?

We have a few exciting shows we’re excited to announce, and possibly our debut album which we’re currently recording and constantly refining and perfecting.

Catch Wych elm - Shacklewell Arms, 16th March 2025

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