If you love your indie rock with a side of emotional devastation and a sprinkle of shoegaze fuzz, Exeter trio Soot Sprite has got you covered. Their debut album, Wield Your Hope Like A Weapon, is set to land on May 16 via Specialist Subject and to get you in the mood for all the feelings, they’ve just released their latest single, ‘All My Friends Are Depressed’.
From Lo-Fi Bedroom Project to Full-Fledged Shoegaze Force
Soot Sprite started life as a one-woman bedroom pop experiment in 2018, but frontwoman Elise Cook didn’t stop there. Fast forward a few years, and the project has evolved into a full-band, alt-indie shoegaze powerhouse, now featuring Sean Mariner (bass/backing vocals) and Sam Cother (drums/backing vocals).
Their sound? Think shimmering melodies that lull you into a false sense of security before the raw, visceral energy knocks the wind out of you. It’s dreamy, punchy, and a little bit heart-wrenching.
The New Single: An Anthem for the Mentally Exhausted
‘All My Friends Are Depressed’ isn’t just a moody jam. It’s a reflection on the very real mental health crisis we’re all wading through. Cook explains:
> “This is my observation of the mental health crisis we’re in, how widespread it feels and how sociopolitical factors are playing such a huge part. It’s also a reminder to myself that I need to stop distracting myself from my issues and try and change something or face things or nothing will happen and I’ll never shake off the episode.”
So, y’know, just your casual existential self-intervention wrapped in a gorgeously atmospheric indie rock track.
Watch the Official Video for SOOT SPRITE – All My Friends Are Depressed:
Wield Your Hope Like A Weapon: The Album
This isn’t just a collection of songs; it’s an emotional thesis on choosing empathy over apathy in a world that makes it way too easy to just give up. Inspired by Rebecca Solnit’s book Hope In The Dark, the album’s title is a call to arms because hope isn’t just something you wish for. It’s something you fight with.
Musically, expect a mix of influences, from the intimate indie stylings of Soccer Mommy and Hovvdy to the chaotic beauty of Sweet Pill, Ovlov, and Wednesday. Written over four years and recorded in September 2024 at The Bookhouse in London, the album promises to slap you both sonically and emotionally.
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
If you’re ready to feel some feelings and scream into the void (but, like, aesthetically), keep an eye out for Wield Your Hope Like A Weapon on May 16. Until then, go stream ‘All My Friends Are Depressed’ and let Soot Sprite soundtrack your next existential crisis.
