Getting To Know: WREX

Get ready to meet WREX, the explosive Brighton duo making waves with their fierce blend of pop, electro, punk, and nu-metal. Comprising Mae Seaton on vocals and George Donoghue handling guitar, bass, vocals, drums, and production, WREX delivers a uniquely ferocious sound that's captivating audiences everywhere. With live members Tom Stevens (Freeze The Atlantic) and Joe Constable (Circus of Horrors), their high-energy performances are a must-see. Already gaining airtime on BBC Radio 1, BBC Introducing, Kerrang! Radio, and Planet Rock, WREX is set to release their next EP, promising to be the anthem of your summer. Don't miss out on this "absolutely phenomenal live band" as hailed by Melita Dennett (Radio Reverb / BBC Introducing Sussex & Surrey).

1. You've received airtime on prominent stations like BBC Radio 1, BBC Introducing, Kerrang! Radio, and Planet Rock. How has this exposure influenced your band’s journey and growth?

We've been incredibly lucky and grateful to have received such support throughout our time as a band. This has set the bar pretty high from the get-go for us, meaning we are always finding new ways to push ourselves and to evolve our sound. In hindsight this also resulted in us landing a few opportunities sooner than expected, again keeping the pressure on to raise the bar. 

2. Your next EP is set to release just in time to be the anthem of our summer! Can you give us a sneak peek into what fans can expect from this EP in terms of themes and musical direction?

Musically we've explored both our electronic and our heavier sides further, incorporating hip-hop and garage influences along with nu-metal and post-hardcore. The lyrical themes of the record continue the discussion of mental health and self-expression, however, I would say that this record is the most direct and honest version of the band to date. We've never said anything we don't want to say, and we didn't want to start here. 

Musically it's predominantly uptempo and to the point, with most songs coming in around the 3 minute mark. It's upbeat and catchy for the singalong live energy but at a closer look there is depth and meaning. 

3. 2023 was a significant year for WREX, with gigs across the UK and a full-capacity show at Brighton’s Great Escape Festival. What were some of the highlights of your live performances, and how did these experiences shape your band?

Sharing the stage is a special moment and one that bonds you together, these experiences have brought us closer as a band and a unit. TGE was definitely a highlight, it was amazing to be able to share the stage with our friends in Orchards after our careers intertwining for so long. We had the opportunity to play Concorde 2 and The Wedgewood Rooms in 2023 and both of these were special shows for us, the crowds were exceptional and it was an amazing experience to share WREX with a room of that size. 

The new record has been influenced heavily by these experiences as we are now thinking about the live parameters more when writing songs whereas up until this point, everything had been written in the studio. There is something fundamentally different about performing in the studio to performing live, and I think it took us getting out onto the stage and experiencing that again since covid 19 to refresh ourselves and bring that live energy back into the studio and recording. 

4. Melita Dennett from Radio Reverb and BBC Introducing Sussex & Surrey described you as an "absolutely phenomenal live band." What do you think sets your live performances apart, and how do you strive to connect with your audience during shows?

There is a lot of pressure to perform everything perfectly, often people are filming and sharing your performance with more people than might be in attendance at the show. Whilst this of course can be amazing, it can have its downside too. This can bring a pressure to play it safe and avoid the danger in a performance. To us that danger space is the most exciting bit. We enjoy moving, climbing and in general bringing the show to you. This attitude enables us to put on a show and keep a positive energy. Even if Mae falls off the stage.......

Our rule in WREX, is that we "leave it off stage" - we park everything going on in our lives during the performance, and focus on being in the moment. Our goal is that this spreads to the audience and we can create a space where everyone onstage and off, can feel comfortable in switching off and enjoying themselves. 

Our goal for 2025 is to establish ourselves on the festival circuit, keep performing great shows with great people and be well on our way to a killer debut album. Whatever the future brings we're excited for it. WREX is definitely in its zone right now - we're excited to keep things moving forward and seeing where we can take this.