By Carole Dennett
Isle of Wight indie band Wet Leg has scored a second consecutive UK No. 1 album with Moisturizer, narrowly edging out Oasis in a chart battle that went down to the wire.
The five-piece band – Rhian Teasdale, Hester Chambers, Henry Holmes, Josh Mobaraki, and Ellis Durand – topped the Official Albums Chart on July 18, just ahead of Oasis’ greatest hits collection Time Flies… 1994–2009, which was in top spot the previous week as the Gallagher brothers launched their Live ’25 reunion tour.
Moisturizer follows the band’s widely praised self-titled debut, which also entered the charts at No. 1 in 2022. The new album has been praised for its bold sound and emotional depth, with standout tracks like “Catch These Fists” and “Davina McCall”.
The band posted on Instagram: “This record came outa lots of late night demoing, strange little jams, trips to the pier and the dumbest of in-jokes … mostly it is the result of the five of us hanging out with no big plan. Just following a feeling and seeing where it took us. We’re so proud of the weird little world we built together.”
Their success was mentioned in the House of Commons today during a statement on music streaming. Joe Robertson, Conservative MP for Isle of Wight East, praised Wet Leg’s rise to the top of the UK charts and commended them for showcasing the Island’s creative spirit on a global stage. In response, the Minister quipped, “I am more Wet Leg than Oasis.”
Whether the band will welcome this glowing endorsement from one of our local politicians remains to be seen. At the 2023 BRIT Awards, guitarist Josh Mobaraki was censored during the BBC broadcast after declaring “F**k the Tories” on stage.
Wet Leg have built a “weird little world” – and it’s one that doesn’t always play by Westminster’s rules.
