{{Short description|Scottish folk rock band}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}} {{Use British English|date=April 2024}} {{About|the Scottish band|the pseudonym of musician Jef Whitehead|Leviathan (band)|the English country estate|Wrest Park}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Wrest | image = Wrest Thekla 060424.jpg | caption = Wrest playing at The Thekla, Bristol in April 2024 | landscape = yes | origin = Dumfries and Falkirk, Scotland | genre = Folk rock, Indie rock, indie folk<ref name="NAT1">{{cite news |last1=McBay |first1=Nadine |title=No Wrest for the wicked as 'hobby band' sell out several shows |url=https://www.thenational.scot/news/17837618.no-wrest-wicked-hobby-band-sell-several-shows/ |access-date=7 April 2024 |publisher=The National |date=15 August 2019}}</ref> | years_active = 2017–present | label = | current_members = Stewart Douglas<br/>Stephen Whipp<br/>Craig Robertson<br/>Jonny Tait | website = {{url|https://wrest.band}} }}
'''Wrest''' are a Scottish folk rock band, formed in 2017. Singer and guitarist Stewart Douglas hails from Falkirk, whilst the remaining members are from Dumfries; the band is now based in Edinburgh.<ref name="NAT1" /> The band is unsigned and release their own music; they set up their own promotions company to book shows which now manages bookings for many other acts in the UK.<ref name="WON">{{cite web |title=Unsigned band wrest sell out 2,000 capacity Barrowland Ballroom |url=https://www.whatsonglasgow.co.uk/news/2024/09/12/unsigned-band-wrest-sell-out-2,000-capacity-barrowland-ballroom/ |website=What's On Glasgow |access-date=5 October 2024}}</ref> They have released three full-length albums and a number of EPs and singles.
== History == Wrest released their first single "Adventurers", in 2017. Two further singles, "Hope Springs" and "Human" followed, the latter being placed by Spotify on playlists which widened the band's reach,<ref name="NAT1" /> prior to the release of debut album ''Coward of us All'' in 2019.<ref name="NARC">{{cite web |last1=Young |first1=Matt |title=NEWS: Wrest @ The Georgian Theatre |url=https://narcmagazine.com/news-wrest-the-georgian-theatre/ |website=NARC |access-date=5 October 2024}}</ref> Despite a number of fine reviews, including being named "Scotland's best new band" by the ''Border Telegraph''<ref>{{cite news |last1=Knox |first1=David |title=Wrest assured of Scotland's best new band coming to Gala |url=https://www.bordertelegraph.com/news/18055953.wrest-assured-scotlands-best-new-band-coming-gala/ |access-date=5 October 2024 |publisher=Border Telegraph |ref=BORT}}</ref> the band's plans were interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which cancelled nearly all their shows for 18 months.<ref name="NARC" />
The band used the time to record a second album, ''End All The Days''.<ref name="NARC" /> and toured it across the UK and Europe for the next two years, including sold-out shows in the UK - such as Edinburgh's 900-capacity Queen's Hall and Glasgow Garage - as well as places such as Berlin, Hamburg and Dusseldorf.<ref name="IOM">{{cite news |last1=Blackburn |first1=Julie |title=Wrest play Peel |url=https://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/entertainment/wrest-play-peel-after-two-year-europe-tour-669060 |access-date=5 October 2024 |publisher=Isle of Man Today |date=1 March 2024}}</ref>
In 2024 the band released their third album, ''Everything's Nothing Forever Again'', and culminated a tour by selling out Glasgow's 1,900-capacity Barrowland Ballroom.<ref name="WON" /> Douglas commented that "Opportunities like headlining Barrowlands simply would not be available to us if we were relying on promoters and industry backing."<ref name="IOM" /> In 2025, the band played their biggest show to date, at the 2,200 capacity Usher Hall in Edinburgh.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wrest - Usher Hall |url=https://cultureedinburgh.com/events/wrest?ref=edinburghminute.com |website=Culture Edinburgh |access-date=12 January 2026}}</ref>
== Discography == All music is self-released.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wrest |url=https://wrest.bandcamp.com/music |website=Bandcamp |access-date=7 April 2024}}</ref>
=== Albums === *''Coward of Us All'' (2019) *''End All The Days'' (2022) *''Everything's Nothing Forever Again'' (2024)
===EPs=== *''A World That Has Left You Unspoken'' (2020) *''Bedtime Rhymes'' (2023)
=== Singles=== *"Adventurers" (2017) *"Hope Springs" (2018) *"Human" (2019) *"A Perfectly Spherical World" (2020) *"Blood" (2020) *"Second Wind" (2021) *"Medicine" (2021) *"Bold" (2021)
== Members == * Stewart Douglas - vocals, guitar * Stephen Whipp - guitar * Craig Robertson - bass guitar * Jonny Tait - drums
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.instagram.com/wearewrest Instagram page] * [https://www.pcnmagazine.uk/edinburghs-wrest-play-to-a-packed-100-club-in-london/ A live review of the band at London's 100 Club]
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Category:Scottish folk rock groups Category:Scottish indie pop groups Category:Scottish indie rock groups Category:British indie folk groups Category:Musical groups established in 2017 Category:2017 establishments in Scotland