“A snarling beast of an outfit. Fully loaded with anthemic charm… unrelenting thirst for crunching guitar licks and huge, resonating guitar licks to die for” – Kerrang!
“A decent cut of big, British metalcore… we could be looking at the scene’s next breakout band” – Rock Sound
Today, south Wales five-piece When We Were Wolves return with their first new track in three years, ‘The Gift Of Hating Me’. With a band name that is apt now more than ever, the track and video embodies the wolf-spirit showcasing ferocious, wild and abrasive growls, sheer brute-force and gore, juxtaposed by emotional vulnerability seen in soft melodic vocals and intricate guitar work.
“We knew our next batch of music had to be a step up for us. Due to some lineup changes last year, we were pretty quiet, so we wanted to let people know we are back and in a big way.
“We’re now in 2017, sat on a tonne of material with a lot of songs to choose from, but we decided to write a separate stand alone single to give people a taster of where we are at musically. Lyrically it’s a big middle finger to many people. Past members who have dragged our name through the mud, people who have tried to break us as a band and as people. I’ve had a very tough few years and struggled with my mental health. Thankfully to a few close friends, family and my love of music I pulled through it all, so this song is my way of putting all my feelings towards certain people and that dark stage of my life on the table and laying it to rest so to speak. I want people to be able to listen to this song and apply it to their own lives and really connect with the message, I had it in mind that it would be the type of song you would stick on after a shit day and feel better after a few listens. Years ago I remember a friend saying to me “don’t give them the gift of hating you” and that saying has really been relevant recently. All in all it’s a song about doing your own thing and not caring what people think”
– Mitch, vocals
The band have a short live run of dates and have been confirmed for Fat Lip and Camden Rock Festivals this summer, and have a tour announcement in the works for later this year.
With two EPs to date, 2013’s ‘The More Things Change, The More We Stay the Same’, the success of these releases fuelled a formidable touring period not for the faint-hearted, including support to the likes of Devil Sold His Soul, Yashin and The Blackout.
Subsequent years were challenging for the band as multiple line-up changes set the band back in their tracks. The trials and tribulations that came during this period however nourished a progression in their musical identity, and 2017 sees the pack hungrier and stronger than ever before. A statement of things to come later this year, THE GIFT OF HATING ME showcases the new life that has been breathed into WHEN WE WERE WOLVES. Expect to hear more soon.
Mitchell Bock – Vocals
Aled Davies – Guitar
Kieron Dix – Guitar
Jason Care – Bass
Tom Connolly – Drums
Tour Dates
06 Apr – Manchester Retro
07 Apr – Corby The Hut
08 Apr – London Surya
09 Apr – Swansea The Scene
03 Jun – Camden Rocks Festival, London
29 Jul – Fat Lip Fest, Bristol
