Wunderhorse serves up a songwriting masterclass on poignant new single '17'

Wunderhorse, the solo project of former Dead Pretties frontman Jacob Slater, has released a brand new single called ’17’ – check it out below.

Coming off the heels of recent tracks ‘Teal’ and ‘Poppy’, Slater’s latest offering hears him not only broaden his sonic catalogue with a melody-rich slice of Americana-kissed indie rock but also show-off his top-tier songwriting talents.

Written when he was 17 (hence the title), the Wunderhorse musician said the lyrics “just kind of fell out” of him.

“I remember coming back from a party and feeling a bit shit and the song just kind of fell out,” he said of the track. “It’s the oldest song I still play live and so I thought it deserved to get out there.”

“In Punch and Judy make-up/ As we dance along the blade/ All of life is a butcher’s knife/ Puppets on a stage,” Slater sings, conjuring up a moody aesthetic while hooking listeners in to what could potentially be a deeper story.

He then reverts to the song’s chorus: “Don’t go/ Don’t leave me here/ Where it feels like I’m dying/ That feeling of fear/ Don’t go/ Hold me in your palm/ Where I don’t feel like crying/ I can’t taste no tears.”

You can check out the video for ’17’ below:

Last month Wunderhorse performed alongside Melbourne trio HighSchool in a gig at London’s Sebright Arms.

In a four-star review of Slater’s performance, NME‘s Sophie Williams wrote: “An understated confidence in both his vocals and gorgeously reflective storytelling could easily bear out comparisons to the emotional depths that Sam Fender explored last year on ‘Seventeen Going Under’.

“However, Slater’s sublime, quivering holler suggests that through his new solo artist endeavours, he is quickly becoming his own person, and a rare, ever-evolving talent.”

Next up, Slater is set to star as Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook in Danny Boyle’s forthcoming biopic series, PISTOL, which is due to arrive on Disney+ this spring.

He’s also due to perform a headline show at The Lexington in London on March 10. You can get tickets here.