Deep contemplation on the foundations of contentment and the imprecise steps taken towards purpose needn’t compromise the groove and Gulp’s latest single, “Wildflower“, paints a pastel wash of wonder over poised, sun-specked synth-pop pleasure. Reflective of the band’s own ethereal electro-pop standing after more than a decade of creativity, while sounding echoes of the electro-noir sensibilities of Goldfrapp and sultry, tainted sugar rushes of Saint Etienne, the single’s beach club basslines and recurrent popcorn melodies purposely evoke the fleeting freedom of unencumbered childhood.
Following a seven-year break between releases, accounted for by the wholesale relocation of multi-media artist and musician, Lindsey Leven and her partner, Super Furry Animals’ Guto Pryce from Cardiff to the coast of North East Fife, the band announced their third album, Beneath Strawberry Moons for release on ELK Records on August 29, 2025. Impacted by landmark life events, not merely in practical terms, but in finding home within a fresh and generous artistic community on their new doorstep and swapping fabricated city chaos for the chaotic whims of nature, Gulp’s third album found its own, organic way into being.
Having initially hush-released their first single since 2018, “Always So Far” in May and regrouped with fans amidst the optimistic haze of “Hope Shines Through The Haar” last month, released with a video by Donald Milne, the Dundee-based artist behind Pulp’s era-defining Different Class album artwork, Wildflower leads the band’s gentle stroll through summer.
Leven says of the song: “The wide sky where we live can be awe inspiring at times. This song is about growth, with a nod to motherhood and our own little wildflower. Tiny, yet somehow reaching the infinite sky.”
A specially-produced, animated, hand-painted video for “Wildflower” continues the band’s 360-degree approach to illuminating their wondrous world of storytelling. Created by artist, Eilidh Nicoll, the animation was made using acrylic and gouache paint over the course of a week.
Nicoll says of her work: “Taking inspiration from the lyrics and Lindsey’s gorgeous woodblock vinyl cover, I wanted to experiment by animating organic shapes quite loosely and instinctively in response to the music, before bringing it all together digitally. It works in a way that I hope echoes the relationship between the dreamy vocals and the electronic elements of the song.”
