Boardmasters 2024: Wunderhorse avoid rain to talk main stage debut, a second album and getting their surf on

A four piece who formed from a solo project of lead singer Jacob Slater, Wunderhorse have blossomed in the years following the Covid-19 lockdown. On a misty day on the Cornish coast, the band made another piece of personal history. 

Wunderhorse made their Boardmasters debut last year, but made their first appearance on the main stage this time around. Ahead of the show, the band who is Jacob Slater (Vocals), Harry Tristan Fowler (Guitar), Pete Woodin (Bass) and Jamie Staples (Drums)  chatted to NationalWorld about how they are finding things at the moment. 

Jacob, who lives in Newquay and has had the festival on his doorstep for several years, said: “I think we’re ready for the bigger stage, it is raining though so I hope some people turn up.  

“Festivals are a bit more touch and go really. Mainly because you don’t get a sound check, you have to sometimes affect the kind of chaos that comes with it. You’ve just got to make peace with it really. On this Pete added the interesting line of “always hope for the worst,” as a way of expecting the unexpected. 

Wunderhorse have their new album coming out later this month. They explained some of the process of this, and why due to the first album being a lot of Jacob’s work, it feels like the band’s first. 

Jamie said:  “This felt in a way like our debut album as a band. It’s like this is our first ever Wunderhorse record as a complete unit. 

Jacob added: “The first album was mainly me writing it, it was a totally different playing field. Once we found the world a bit, it all flowed quite easily. Most of this record was written in the studio, which isn’t what we had planned. 

“It was an exercise of how to do things. We got bored with how the record was going to sound, and that was new to us.”

With the band looking to explore after their set, Harry said: “We’re going to have a wander around in a bit, but we just got here. The show is always the focus and then after that we’ll see if we have time.

Jacob added: “I’ll be surfing tomorrow, I take every opportunity I get to surf,” with the acknowledgment of how close several of Cornwall’s beaches are to the festival site.