Are Wet Leg having their breakthrough moment?
After their standout performance at Glastonbury 2025, where frontwoman Rhian Teasdale donned an Antifreeze Green acrylic-bodied B.C. Rich Mockingbird for the occasion, Wet Leg are gaining a strong buzz on both sides of the Atlantic. The show felt like a pivotal moment for a band whose rise is gaining pace.
Their second album, Moisturizer, comes out this week, but already its three lead singles have already racked up more than 10 million Spotify streams between them. The band stands as a bright new hope for the post-punk and indie-rock worlds.
But who exactly are they?
Founded by Teasdale and co-guitarist Hester Chambers in 2019 while studying at college on the Isle of Wight — a small island south of England and home to around 140,000 — the band quickly gained traction. By 2021, they’d penned a deal with Domino Records (Arctic Monkeys, My Bloody Valentine). Their 2021 debut single, "Chaise Lounge," characterized by its throbbing beat and erratic guitar lines, quickly went viral and generated millions of streams.
A year later, Dave Grohl was lending his screaming voice to the band at Coachella 2022, roaring down the microphone during a particularly rambunctious performance of their 2022 single “Ur Mum.” Last summer saw him take the group along with his band, Foo Fighters, on a tour of U.K. stadiums.
Teasdale and Chambers are now flanked by other songwriting talents. Bassist/vocalist Ellis Durand co-wrote fresh hits "CPR" and "Catch These Fists" with Teasdale; rhythm guitarist Josh Mobaraki has plenty of credits on the upcoming LP; and Henry Holmes sits behind the drum kit. All three had started life as touring musicians, filling out the duo's grand vision for the group's live shows. Between Teasdale and Chambers alone, there's a score of interesting gear picks.
According to Guitar World, Teasdale had bought her eye-catching Mockingbird from eBay just weeks before the show. Before that, she played a Fender Noventa Telecaster sporting a P90 in the bridge position.
It can be seen during the band's performance on Jools Holland in 2022, a show which saw Chambers sporting another oddball axe: a Hofner HCT Galaxie that she bought during lockdown.
“It’s so gorgeous, she tells Total Guitar. “It’s got nails in it holding it together, and stuck-on gems.”
For recent shows, including a new Tiny Desk performance, Chambers has since pivoted to a white, triple-humbucker Kramer Jersey Star. She also has a Noventa Jazzmaster — also equipped with three humbuckers — in her collection.
Teasdale, meanwhile, opted for a Fender Meteora during a Fender Player Plus session in 2022. She’s also employed Jazzmasters in the band on various occasions.
Most impressive is the fact that Chambers had scant experience with electric guitars before Wet Leg formed.
“Something that really blows my mind is that, before Wet Leg, Rhian didn’t know how to play guitar,” Hester reveals.
“She’s excellent at writing songs on a piano but had never done it on a guitar. She was like, ‘I’m gonna write on guitar,’ and it just kind of happened. She’s got a really beautiful way of playing and writing. She’s not restricted — not like, ‘Oh, I need to learn these chords so I can make this song.’ She just kind of plays around.”
She's since journeyed down the gear rabbit hole, bestowing her pedalboard with the likes of an Electro-Harmonix Soul Food overdrive and a Keeley Loomer fuzz and reverb.
As for tones, although the secrets behind Moisturizer remain locked behind closed doors, the recording of their self-titled 2021 debut album saw Chambers make an all-important amp swap. Teasdale has stayed loyal to a Supro Combo, but Chambers changed out her "very big" Fender Deluxe for a Vox AC10.
“It was a hard decision,” she adds, “because I loved the Fender’s spring reverb, but the AC10 sounds warmer.”
As per their chat with NME in late 2021, Teasdale set out the band's lofty ambitions.
“We want to be recognized as guitar heroes,” she said. “It doesn’t hurt to win sometimes.”
