WILDES ANNOUNCES NEW EP + DROPS TRACK ‘ARE YOU GONNA SPEAK?’
Photo credit: Elena Garcia
WILDES and St Francis Hotel have unveiled plans for their joint EP, Kopfkino, set for release on February 19, 2025. Alongside the announcement, the duo shared their haunting new single, “Are You Gonna Speak?”, following October’s release of the title track.
The collaboration reunites the two artists after St Francis Hotel produced WILDES’ critically acclaimed debut album, Other Words Fail Me. For Kopfkino, the pair draw inspiration from 1980s synth-pop giants like Erasure, The Human League, and Depeche Mode, as well as the atmospheric trip-hop stylings of Massive Attack and Portishead. Both artists bring impressive credentials, with past collaborations involving The Flaming Lips, Little Simz, and Michael Kiwanuka.
“Are You Gonna Speak?” captures the EP’s shadowy sonic landscape and deeply introspective themes. Anchored by WILDES’ emotive vocals, the track builds with throbbing synths and clattering percussion, embodying a plea for authentic connection.
“‘Are You Gonna Speak?’ draws from the silence and suffocation that can surface towards the end of a relationship,” WILDES explained. “It’s a final cry for help before the moment ends for good, exposing difficult conversations but trying to inspire hope.”
The EP marks a creative milestone in the collaboration between WILDES, the project of Anglo-Irish musician and producer Ella Walker, and St Francis Hotel. The duo describe Kopfkino as an exploration of personal and interpersonal landscapes.
“Though regularly collaborating on various projects, we chose to come together for this EP because of our shared grounding in the emotive meaning behind the songs,” WILDES noted. “It’s about navigating the world at the mercy of our subconscious—exploring and getting lost in our own minds while being shut out of others’.”
With Kopfkino, WILDES and St Francis Hotel merge their distinctive artistry into a powerful exploration of human connection and introspection.
Follow, WILDES
Instagram: @wildesofficial
X / Twitter: @wildesmusic
TikTok: @wildesmusic
Facebook: /wildesmusic
Spotify: @wildes
