{"id":42960,"date":"2025-06-30T12:15:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-30T16:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=42960"},"modified":"2025-06-22T20:59:48","modified_gmt":"2025-06-23T00:59:48","slug":"wylderness-release-new-ep-safe-mode-a-shoegaze-daydream-from-south-wales","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=42960","title":{"rendered":"Wylderness release new EP\u00a0\u2018Safe Mode\u2019: A shoegaze daydream from South Wales"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cardiff\u2019s own indie-gaze explorers&nbsp;<strong>Wylderness<\/strong>&nbsp;are back with their brand new EP&nbsp;\u2018Safe Mode,\u2019 now streaming everywhere. Drawing inspiration from the tech-soaked optimism of the \u201890s,&nbsp;\u2018Safe Mode\u2019 reimagines Silicon Valley\u2019s software dreams through the overcast lens of South Wales\u2014a digital mirage drenched in fuzz, reverb, and nostalgia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Known for their kaleidoscopic blend of shoegaze, dreampop, and jagged indie, Wylderness have built a reputation for crafting soundscapes that shimmer and sting in equal measure. On&nbsp;\u2018Safe Mode,\u2019 they\u2019re in top form\u2014taking cues from the likes of Ride, Sonic Youth, DIIV, and Yo La Tengo, but always pulling it through their own haze-soaked filter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-CA&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent&#038;listType=playlist&#038;list=OLAK5uy_mJRzYjLQGVlIKsYYXAB52V0v_oXRmObT0\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>The EP\u2019s closer,\u00a0<em>What Happens To The Rain<\/em>, feels like two songs stitched together under one grey Welsh sky. The first half channels a jangly Real Estate energy, all chiming guitars and introspection. Then, things slip into something more psychedelic\u2014a hypnotic Brian Jonestown Massacre-inspired spiral. It\u2019s a meditation on memory and distortion, revisiting the places of your past only to find they don\u2019t quite fit the way you remember them. \u201c<em>Seeing faces you had forgotten \/ Crying for no one \/ Recollections made of concrete \/ Fade in the sun.<\/em>\u201d It&#8217;s nostalgic, it&#8217;s disorienting, and it&#8217;s beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is just the latest evolution for a band that\u2019s quietly built a cult following. Their 2018 debut caught the ears of BBC\u2019s Steve Lamacq and Huw Stephens, while&nbsp;<em>On A Dais<\/em>&nbsp;even made it onto the US version of&nbsp;<em>Shameless<\/em>. Their 2022 follow-up,&nbsp;\u2018Big Plans for a Blue World,\u2019 expanded their sonic palette\u2014adding vintage synths, clarinet, and deeper layers\u2014and landed on Far Out Magazine\u2019s Best Albums of the Year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now in 2025,&nbsp;\u2018Safe Mode\u2019&nbsp;sees the band\u2014Ian, Jim, Ben, Dan, and Harri\u2014working with producers Andrew Sanders and longtime collaborator Rory Attwell to push their sound even further into the digital ether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For fans of woozy pop, cascading distortion, and songs that feel like flickering VHS memories,&nbsp;\u2018Safe Mode\u2019 is well worth a deep dive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Stream&nbsp;\u2018Safe Mode<\/strong>\u2019<br><a href=\"https:\/\/album.link\/gb\/i\/1816317373\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Listen Here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Dig Deeper<\/strong><br><a href=\"https:\/\/wylderness.bandcamp.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Bandcamp<\/a><br><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/wylderness_band\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Instagram<\/a><br><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/wyldernessband\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2018Safe Mode\u2019 is out now, independently released on all major digital platforms.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>Cardiff\u2019s own indie-gaze explorers&nbsp;Wylderness&nbsp;are back with their brand new EP&nbsp;\u2018Safe Mode,\u2019 now streaming everywhere. Drawing inspiration from the tech-soaked optimism of the \u201890s,&nbsp;\u2018Safe Mode\u2019 reimagines <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=42960\" title=\"Wylderness release new EP\u00a0\u2018Safe Mode\u2019: A shoegaze daydream from South Wales\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":42962,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"Wylderness release new EP \u2018Safe Mode\u2019: A shoegaze daydream from South Wales #wylderness #music #indiemusic","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2,"attached_media":[{"id":42962,"url":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IMG_4777.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}]},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[22,23,28,30,1907,5812],"tags":[12551,438,12748,12749],"class_list":["post-42960","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guitar-rock","category-indie","category-music","category-new-release","category-news","category-shoegaze","tag-dreampop","tag-ep","tag-safe-mode","tag-wylderness"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IMG_4777.jpeg?fit=1442%2C961&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2B2TV-baU","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":35776,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=35776","url_meta":{"origin":42960,"position":0},"title":"7Mondays release new single \u2018Tape Rewind\u2019","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"March 3, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"7Mondays have released Tape Rewind, the second single lifted from the upcoming debut EP - it is out now. Listen to Tape Rewind via Spotify below. https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/track\/5soVx8N2C6f9iWPYCNDEPU?si=91ef4e7716074f80 It\u2019s apparently the most immediate song of the EP but it hides its complexity blending fresh indie rock guitars with an imaginary between\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"7Mondays press photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/52AB9032-F5F0-4389-9640-C0FD03F10A3D.jpeg?fit=1200%2C761&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/52AB9032-F5F0-4389-9640-C0FD03F10A3D.jpeg?fit=1200%2C761&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/52AB9032-F5F0-4389-9640-C0FD03F10A3D.jpeg?fit=1200%2C761&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/52AB9032-F5F0-4389-9640-C0FD03F10A3D.jpeg?fit=1200%2C761&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/52AB9032-F5F0-4389-9640-C0FD03F10A3D.jpeg?fit=1200%2C761&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":34987,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=34987","url_meta":{"origin":42960,"position":1},"title":"Cherry Ames blend shoegaze and 90&#8217;s noise on \u2018No Brakes\u2019 EP","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"October 2, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Cherry Ames have shared their blistering new EP,\u00a0\u2018No Brakes\u2019. The DC band have been kicking around for a couple years now, with a handful of singles and EP's under their belt. Their latest feels like a fully realized vision of their 90's indebted sound - guitars are tuned beyond recognition\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"Cherry Ames press photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/C16D503D-F486-4300-96D9-CC2163C2F596-scaled.jpeg?fit=1200%2C857&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/C16D503D-F486-4300-96D9-CC2163C2F596-scaled.jpeg?fit=1200%2C857&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/C16D503D-F486-4300-96D9-CC2163C2F596-scaled.jpeg?fit=1200%2C857&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/C16D503D-F486-4300-96D9-CC2163C2F596-scaled.jpeg?fit=1200%2C857&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/C16D503D-F486-4300-96D9-CC2163C2F596-scaled.jpeg?fit=1200%2C857&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":44591,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=44591","url_meta":{"origin":42960,"position":2},"title":"deary soar into cinematic shoegaze with \u2018Alfie\u2019 and debut album\u00a0\u2018Birding\u2019","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"March 18, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"London dreampop trio\u00a0deary\u00a0are floating ever closer to liftoff. They have unveiled\u00a0Alfie,\u00a0a cinematic, slow-burn epic that arrives with a beautifully shot new video and offers another spellbinding glimpse into their debut album\u00a0\u2018Birding,\u2019 out April 3 via\u00a0Bella Union. Clocking in at seven-and-a-half minutes, Alfie begins as something intimate and tender before expanding\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"Deary press photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7318-e1772291151383.jpeg?fit=1200%2C831&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7318-e1772291151383.jpeg?fit=1200%2C831&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7318-e1772291151383.jpeg?fit=1200%2C831&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7318-e1772291151383.jpeg?fit=1200%2C831&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7318-e1772291151383.jpeg?fit=1200%2C831&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":40839,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=40839","url_meta":{"origin":42960,"position":3},"title":"Cold Gawd release \u2018I\u2019ll Drown On This Earth\u2019","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"September 20, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Southern California shoegaze squad\u00a0Cold Gawd\u00a0have released their second and most supreme suite yet of crushing downer bliss,\u00a0\u2018I\u2019ll Drown On This Earth\u2019 via Dais Records.\u00a0 From the defiant scream that kicks off album opener Gorgeous, the album rips in what singer and principal songwriter Matthew Wainwright describes as \u201cgo for it\u201d\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"Cold Gawd press photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/F99F435E-725E-481F-B3F5-8CC4E76A675F.jpeg?fit=900%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/F99F435E-725E-481F-B3F5-8CC4E76A675F.jpeg?fit=900%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/F99F435E-725E-481F-B3F5-8CC4E76A675F.jpeg?fit=900%2C600&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/F99F435E-725E-481F-B3F5-8CC4E76A675F.jpeg?fit=900%2C600&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":44521,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=44521","url_meta":{"origin":42960,"position":4},"title":"Snowcuffs drop hypnotic new single \u2018Burst\u2019","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"March 2, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Chicago\u2019s dreampop quintet\u00a0Snowcuffs\u00a0are back with a shimmering new single and video, Burst. It\u2019s the first taste of their upcoming EP\u00a0\u2018Sweet Gravity,\u2019 set to arrive\u00a0March 5th, 2026. Following their 2025 debut\u00a0\u2018Sink Down,\u2019 this new batch of moody, textured tracks finds Snowcuffs refining their dreamy, layered sound. The EP was carefully engineered\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"Snowcuffs press photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7214.jpeg?fit=1100%2C1100&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7214.jpeg?fit=1100%2C1100&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7214.jpeg?fit=1100%2C1100&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7214.jpeg?fit=1100%2C1100&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7214.jpeg?fit=1100%2C1100&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":31967,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=31967","url_meta":{"origin":42960,"position":5},"title":"Shoegaze collective Mercvrial cover The Chills \u2018Pink Frost\u2019","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"September 2, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Shoegaze\/dream pop collective\u00a0Mercvrial\u00a0have released their latest single\u00a0Pink Frost. You can check out the video for the track via YouTube below. https:\/\/youtu.be\/O3SV1r6-ErY \"Pink Frost is the song on the EP that is most unlike the others as it\u2019s vaguely\u2026 electronica (of all things). To us, it sounds like a collaboration between\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;indie&quot;","block_context":{"text":"indie","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"Mercvrial Press photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/567FE6B7-F8E0-406C-9A96-A22667B3A45A.jpeg?fit=982%2C394&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/567FE6B7-F8E0-406C-9A96-A22667B3A45A.jpeg?fit=982%2C394&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/567FE6B7-F8E0-406C-9A96-A22667B3A45A.jpeg?fit=982%2C394&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/567FE6B7-F8E0-406C-9A96-A22667B3A45A.jpeg?fit=982%2C394&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42960","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=42960"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42960\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43222,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42960\/revisions\/43222"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/42962"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=42960"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=42960"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=42960"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}