Exeter alt-indie trio Soot Sprite (Specialist Subject Records) share new single ‘Vicious Cycles’
Debut album Wield Your Hope Like A Weapon out May 16th via Specialist Subject
UK tour dates announced
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Exeter alt-indie trio Soot Sprite share new single ‘Vicious Cycles’
Debut album Wield Your Hope Like A Weapon out May 16th via Specialist Subject
UK tour dates announced
"Soot Sprite blend post-emo tropes with swathes of guitar effects lifted from the shoegaze arena." - CLASH
"an ethereal combination of Elise Cook’s vocals, punchy, distorted guitar riffs and thunderous percussion, culminating in a propulsive, empowering anthem of self-love" - NME
"a dose of gorgeous, slow-paced indie rock." - Brooklyn Vegan
Rising Exeter trio Soot Sprite are set to release their debut album, Wield Your Hope Like A Weapon, on May 16th via Specialist Subject (FRESH, Jeff Rosenstock, Doe, Muncie Girls). Since the release of their debut single in 2018, Soot Sprite has grown from a one-woman lo-fi bedroom pop project to a fully-fledged touring alt-indie shoegaze outfit. Their debut album sees Elise Cook (lead vocals/guitar), Sean Mariner (bass/backing vocals), and Sam Cother (drums/backing vocals) fully embrace the dynamic highs and intimate lows that define their sound.
Sonically, Wield Your Hope Like A Weapon takes influence from many alt-indie greats, creating a sound that blends shimmering melodies with raw, visceral energy. “When I started Soot Sprite I was hooked on Clean by Soccer Mommy and Hovvdy’s Cranberry but with this record I was listening to a lot of Sweet Pill’s catalogue, Ovlov & Wednesday,” explains Cook. Written over a span of four years - some tracks taking shape just weeks before recording - the album was captured in September 2024 at The Bookhouse in London, with the help of former lead guitarist Abi Crisp and production by Tom Hill.
At its core, Wield Your Hope Like A Weapon is a record about refusing to let apathy take hold. Cook explains, “it’s about embracing empathy over apathy, despite the constant stream of worldly horrors. If we have empathy we can have hope, and with hope then change is always possible.” Inspired by Rebecca Solnit’s book ‘Hope In The Dark’, the album title reflects the urgent need for action in an increasingly chaotic world.
“Hope is not a lottery ticket you can sit on the sofa and clutch, feeling lucky. It is an axe you break down doors with in an emergency.” Rebecca Solnit
Of their new single, 'Vicious Cycles', Cook says:
“The single is about addressing your patterns of behaviour and the damage done in previous relationships. The fear of retribution for the smallest of hiccups that sticks with you long after the impacting relationship is done ‘Can’t wash off the oil from your spill.’ The thought that you’ll never fully shake it off.”
Fresh from opening for Sweet Pill on their recent UK tour, Soot Sprite are poised for their biggest year yet. Wield Your Hope Like A Weapon is their most ambitious and sonically expansive record to date - a call to arms and a testament to the power of hope in the face of darkness.
UK Tour Dates
May 10th - Cardiff - Clwb I For Bach (supporting Micheal Cera Palin)
May 18th - Bristol - The Exchange
June 22nd - London - The Victoria
June 23rd - Brighton- The Prince Albert
June 24th - Portsmouth- The Wedgewood Rooms
June 25th - Voodoo Daddy’s - Norwich
June 26th - Nottingham - The Grove
June 28th - Oxford - Tap Social Brewery (Divine Schism all dayer)
Album Tracklist:
1. Days After Days
2. All My Friends Are Depressed
3. Spectator
4. Sunday
5. Doomed
6. Surprise Guilty Party
7. Grip
8. Vicious Cycles
9. Great Expectations
10. Wield Your Hope Like A Weapon
11. Cautious Optimist
Soot Sprite online
