Rhian Teasdale Explained

Rhian Teasdale
Birth Name:Rhian Louise Teasdale
Birth Place:Formby, Merseyside, England

Rhian Louise Teasdale (born 1992 or 1993) is an English musician. Born in Formby, she moved to the Isle of Wight aged eight and then to Bristol for her music career. Between 2016 and 2018, she released several singles as Rhain including "Solid Gold", which was developed with Plastic Mermaids. In 2018, she formed Wet Leg with Hester Chambers, who released the UK singles chart entries "Chaise Longue" and "Wet Dream" in 2022 and the UK Albums Chart topper Wet Leg in 2023. The year after that, she featured on Orlando Weeks's "Dig". Her voice has been compared with Kate Bush, Björk, and Joanna Newsom. In July 2023, Plastic Mermaids' frontman Douglas Richards made several scurrilous allegations about Teasdale and Wet Leg.

Life and career

Rhian Louise Teasdale[1] was born in 1992 or 1993[2] in Formby but moved to the Isle of Wight when she was eight.[3] Her parents were both in the merchant navy.[4] Rhys Buchanan of NME incorrectly asserted in September 2016 that Teasdale was from Iceland,[5] prompting her to use a December 2016 interview with 365Bristol.com to joke that this was due to the presence of "a secret tunnel that runs right through from Reykjavík to Sandown, [with the] entrance where Woolworths used to be". Teasdale dropped out of her A-levels to undertake a music Btec[6] at Platform One music college on the Isle of Wight. While there, she met future-bandmate Hester Chambers[7] and bonded with her over a shared love of Laura Marling, Patrick Watson, and Nordic music. The pair later dropped out, with Teasdale taking posts as a waitress and then as a stylist, where she dressed characters for adverts. She also spent a summer working at Robin Hill Country Park.[8]

Around age 16, Teasdale met Aled Chivers, the future founder of Chiverin, who later drew her to Bristol and signed her as Rhain. In 2016, she released a single, "Humdrum Drivel", which Buchanan described as "every inch charming",[9] followed by another single, "Pavlova", which The Independent described as "stripped-back" and "featur[ing ...] unmistakable vocals fit with haunting piano accompaniment".[10] She released the single "Solid Gold" in 2018, which she had developed with Plastic Mermaids,[11] a band fronted by Douglas Richards and containing his brother Jamie Richards.[12] She then released "Time Traveller", a song about her grandfather,[13] which she had previously performed for Burberry Acoustic in February 2017.[14]

On 2 September 2018, Teasdale and Chambers, having contributed guitar and piano to each other's works, were sitting on a Ferris wheel at that year's End of the Road Festival, when they decided to form Wet Leg together. [15] The band signed to Domino Recording Company in June 2021 and released "Chaise Longue",[16] followed by "Wet Dream" in September 2021. By the time of the latter's release, "Chaise Longue" had been streamed three million times and its video viewed over a million times.[17] The pair then released the double-A side single "Too Late Now"/"Oh No" in November 2021,[18] followed by "Angelica" in February 2023.[19] In April 2023, they released "Ur Mum"[20] and then the album Wet Leg,[21] which charted at No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart the same day "Chaise Longue", "Wet Dream", "Angelica", and "Ur Mum" entered the UK Independent Singles Chart, peaking at No. 13, No. 7, No. 38, and No. 46 respectively. "Chaise Longue" and "Wet Dream" would both additionally peak at No. 74 on the UK singles chart.[22] In June 2022, the band asserted that they had completed their second album.[23]

In April 2024, Teasdale featured on "Dig" by Orlando Weeks, the former frontman of The Maccabees.[24] The track featured on his album Loja,[25] which was released the following June.[26] In an interview with Clash later that month, Weeks asserted that he had met the band when he performed before them at the Park Stage of Glastonbury Festival, and that he had previously declined an offer for him to appear in a video. He also asserted that Teasdale recorded the track in person, as there was a weekend where Weeks was in the UK and Teasdale was visiting friends in the Isle of Wight.[27]

Artistry and personal life

Teasdale's voice has been compared to Kate Bush, Björk, and Joanna Newsom.[28] In a December 2016 interview, Teasdale noted that she had an eclectic taste in music as a teenager, listening to various artists, including A Tribe Called Quest, Arcade Fire, The Bees, Devendra Banhart, Björk, Joni Mitchell, and Scout Niblett. She also noted she was inspired by "the attitude [...] of people that have just picked up an instrument, used their ears and made something that sounds good to them". In July 2022, Teasdale announced that she had "a pretty good-looking girlfriend", and labelled herself as "queer…querying?".[29]

In July 2023, Douglas Richards used an article in The Sunday Times to claim that he and Teasdale had dated off and on between 2013 and 2019, and that during the first United Kingdom COVID-19 lockdown, Teasdale returned to his house and would get "really furious with" him and would use "anything that she could to throw at [him] and make [him] feel shit". He also made a number of assertions about the origin of Wet Leg and suggested that several of their songs were about him, including "Piece of Shit".[30] For this, Consequence's Abby Jones concurred with Teasdale's assessment,[31] while Far Out magazine's Tom Taylor[32] and Glamour magazine's Chloe Laws responded by accusing Richards of misogyny[33] and The i's Rebecca Reid suggested his time would be better spent working harder and rebuilding better instead of wasting time "firing shots" at Teasdale's career.[34] In addition, The Forty-Fives Jenessa Williams criticised The Times for "gleefully leaning into the narrative that any successful female artist must have been hiding her secret male songwriter all along".[35]

Discography

Singles

As lead artist

Title! scope="col"
YearAlbumRef.
"Humdrum Drivel"
(Rhain)		2016Oscar November Echo[36]
"Josephine"
(Rhain)
"Pavlova"
(Rhain)
"Solid Gold"
(Rhain)		2018
"Time Traveller"
(Rhain)

As featured artist

Title! scope="col"
YearAlbumRef.
"Dig"
(Orlando Weeks feat. Rhian Teasdale)		2024Loja[37] [38]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Repertory - TEASDALE RHIAN LOUISE . 5 August 2023 . . 12 June 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160612055619/https://www.ascap.com/Home/ace-title-search/index.aspx#/ace/writer/788195577/TEASDALE%20RHIAN%20LOUISE . live.
  2. Web site: 2021-10-15 . 100% Wet Leg: the Isle of Wight duo who’d like to butter your muffin . 2023-09-16 . The Face . en-gb . 26 November 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221126154306/https://theface.com/music/100-wet-leg-wet-dream-rhian-teasdale-hester-chambers-single-british-band-pop . live.
  3. Web site: Hemmings . Jeff . 29 October 2021 . BF Music Radio – Wet Leg . 19 November 2022 . Brightonsfinest Radio Interviews . Podcast . 6 February 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230206081615/https://anchor.fm/bf-radio-interviews/episodes/BF-Music-Radio---Wet-Leg-e19haf3 . live.
  4. News: Hodgkinson . Will . 3 July 2023 . Why Wet Leg will be a Glastonbury 2022 favourite. . subscription . 3 July 2023 . 0140-0460 . 3 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230703200051/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/wet-leg-glastonbury-2022-how-did-we-end-up-here-it-s-a-crazy-life-gnvc3v8s0 . live.
  5. Web site: Buchanan . Rhys . 2016-09-05 . Five Bristol Artists Shaking Things Up Right Now . 2024-08-11 . NME . en-GB.
  6. Web site: 6 April 2022 . Wet Leg: 'Chaise Longue was supposed to be just for us' . 10 August 2023 . The Independent. 11 August 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230811015330/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/wet-leg-interview-album-chaise-longue-b2051215.html . live.
  7. News: Dempsey . Jemma . 7 February 2023 . Wet Leg deserve Grammy wins, says Isle of Wight music teacher . . live . 3 August 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230212160217/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-64539349 . 12 February 2023.
  8. Web site: Skinner . Tom . 2022-08-25 . Wet Leg talk "disgusting" early jobs and making 'Chaise Lounge' in new Nardwuar interview . 2024-08-14 . NME . en-GB.
  9. Web site: Buchanan . Rhys . 5 September 2016 . 5 Bristol Bands Shaking Things Up In 2016 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230603082428/https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-radar/five-bristol-artists-shaking-things-up-right-now-3606 . 3 June 2023 . 3 June 2023 . NME.
  10. Web site: Stolworthy . Jacob . 3 November 2016 . RHAIN: Listen to the brand new single from the rising talent you need to hear . 3 June 2023 . . 3 June 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230603082428/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/rhain-the-rising-talent-you-need-to-hear-as-a-brand-new-single-pavlova-off-the-record-manchester-a7395756.html . live.
  11. Web site: 22 May 2018 . Rhain has debuted her new track, 'Solid Gold' . 3 June 2023 . Dork. 3 June 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230603082428/https://readdork.com/news/rhain-has-debuted-her-new-track-solid-gold/ . live.
  12. News: Morris . Damien . 29 October 2022 . One to watch: Plastic Mermaids. . 4 July 2023 . 0261-3077 . 4 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230704121332/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/oct/29/one-to-watch-plastic-mermaids . live.
  13. Web site: Oldfield . Emily . 4 September 2018 . TRACK OF THE DAY: RHAIN – 'Time Traveller' . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230603082431/https://bittersweetsymphonies.co.uk/2018/09/04/track-of-the-day-rhain-time-traveller/ . 3 June 2023 . 3 June 2023 . Bittersweet Symphonies.
  14. Web site: 22 February 2017 . Don't miss the sensational RHAIN when she plays live in Ventnor . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230804022705/https://onthewight.com/dont-rhain-sensational-plays-live-ventnor/ . 4 August 2023 . 3 June 2023 . On the Wight.
  15. Web site: Manzoor . Sarfraz . 25 February 2022 . Meet Wet Leg, the British rock band to know now . 3 June 2023 . Evening Standard. 3 June 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230603090249/https://www.standard.co.uk/esmagazine/wet-leg-band-chaise-longue-interview-b984651.html . live.
  16. Web site: Perry . Sally . 2021-06-15 . Wet Leg: Isle of Wight duo sign to Domino Records and release their first single, Chaise Longue (updated) . 2023-09-10 . Isle of Wight News from OnTheWight. 17 June 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210617172719/https://onthewight.com/wet-leg-isle-of-wight-duo-sign-to-domino-records-and-release-their-first-single-chaise-longue/ . live.
  17. Web site: Aswad . Jem . 2021-09-28 . Oddball British Duo Wet Leg Return With Their Second Great Single This Year, 'Wet Dream' . 2023-09-10 . Variety. 13 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230713011255/https://variety.com/2021/music/news/wet-leg-single-video-dream-1235076142/ . live.
  18. Web site: Jones . Damian . 2021-11-29 . Wet Leg announce debut album and share two new songs 'Too Late Now' and 'Oh No' . 2023-09-10 . NME. 13 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230713011616/https://www.nme.com/news/music/wet-leg-announce-debut-album-and-share-two-new-songs-too-late-now-and-oh-no-3107104 . live.
  19. Web site: brimstin . chelsea . 2022-02-28 . Wet Leg's new song 'Angelica' is 'laced with disenchantment' . 2023-09-10 . Indie88. 28 February 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220228230058/https://indie88.com/wet-legs-new-song-angelica-is-laced-with-disenchantment/ . live.
  20. Web site: Perry . Sally . 2022-04-01 . Cheeky! Wet Leg's upcoming Ur Mum video sneaks in Isle of Wight in-joke: Can you spot it? . 2023-09-10 . Isle of Wight News from OnTheWight. 5 April 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220405104043/https://onthewight.com/wet-legs-upcoming-ur-mum-video-sneaks-in-isle-of-wight-in-joke-can-you-spot-it/ . live.
  21. Web site: 2022-04-11 . 6 clever pop culture references in Wet Leg's new album . 2023-09-10 . The Independent. 3 June 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230603082431/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/wet-leg-album-easter-eggs-b2055517.html . live.
  22. Web site: Wet Leg . 10 September 2023 . . 1 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230701062011/https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/60545/wet-leg . live.
  23. Web site: Skinner . Tom . 2022-06-21 . Wet Leg reveal they've completed their second album: "It's in the bag" . 2023-09-10 . NME. 31 March 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230331141014/https://www.nme.com/news/music/wet-leg-completed-second-album-interview-radar-3252129 . live.
  24. Web site: Rigotti . Alex . 2024-04-29 . Listen to Orlando Weeks' simmering new single 'Dig' featuring Wet Leg's Rhian Teasdale . 2024-08-11 . NME . en-GB.
  25. Web site: 2024-07-11 . Orlando Weeks announces headline tour with new album LOJA whynow . 2024-08-11 . whynow . en-GB.
  26. Web site: Orlando Weeks - 'Loja' album review . 2024-08-11 . faroutmagazine.co.uk.
  27. Web site: 2024-06-27 . Building Anew: Orlando Weeks Interviewed Features . 2024-08-11 . Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews . en-GB.
  28. News: Wet Leg review – an irresistible, stop-start blast . . 30 October 2021 . 3 June 2023 . Empire . Kitty . 3 June 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230603082428/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/oct/30/wet-leg-omeara-london-review . live.
  29. Web site: Soho House Wet Leg . 2024-03-09 . sohohouse.com.
  30. News: Glancy . Josh . 3 July 2023 . My Wet Leg lover gave me the boot — and won't stop kicking. . live . 3 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230702153159/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/my-wet-leg-lover-gave-me-the-boot-and-wont-stop-kicking-ll29qgl5w . 2 July 2023 . 0140-0460.
  31. Web site: Jones . Abby . 3 July 2023 . Ex-Wet Leg Member whines about not receiving songwriting credit: It's "tricky to feel happy" for them . 3 July 2023 . Consequence. 3 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230703194409/https://consequence.net/2023/07/ex-wet-leg-member-credit/ . live.
  32. Web site: Taylor . Tom . 2 July 2023 . Wet Leg face misogyny as former member airs "dirty laundry" . 3 July 2023 . Far Out. 2 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230702163325/https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/wet-leg-continue-to-face-misogyny-as-former-member-airs-dirty-laundry/ . live.
  33. Web site: Laws . Chloe . 4 July 2023 . Wet Leg are award-winning musicians – they don't owe their success to a disgruntled ex-partner . 4 July 2023 . Glamour UK. 5 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230705000811/https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/wet-leg-misogyny . live.
  34. Web site: Reid . Rebecca . 2 July 2023 . Wet Leg are finding out that behind every successful woman is a man wanting credit . 3 July 2023 . I. 2 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230702211053/https://inews.co.uk/opinion/wet-leg-behind-every-successful-woman-man-wanting-credit-2448555 . live.
  35. Web site: Williams . Jenessa . 13 July 2023 . Bitter boyfriends, Industry Plants and Nepo Babies – why are we so cynical about the new wave of women-led indie? . 5 August 2023 . The Forty-Five. 5 August 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230805103259/https://thefortyfive.com/opinion/bitter-boyfriends-industry-plants-and-nepo-babies-why-are-we-so-cynical-about-the-new-wave-of-women-led-indie/ . live.
  36. Web site: Rhain Singles and EPs Discography . 11 August 2024 . Spotify.
  37. Web site: Loja - Album by Orlando Weeks. Spotify. 11 August 2024.
  38. Web site: Dig feat. Rhian Teasdale - Single by Orlando Weeks. 11 August 2024 . Spotify.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Rhian Teasdale".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.