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Oct 26, 2021 By Mark Redfern Photography by Parri Thomas

British sibling duo Penelope Isles (Lily and Jack Wolter) are releasing a new album, Which Way to Happy, on November 5 via Bella Union. Now they have shared the album’s fourth and final pre-release single, “Terrified.” Listen below.

Jack Wolter had this to say about the song in a press release: “It’s about those days when you’re dying inside but have to pop out to the shop, bumping into someone, having to put on a magic show, pretending to appear that everything is OK. It’s a song that has such a happy-fun-summery exterior but lyrically is totally the opposite. It’s one of self-doubt, displacement and finding something really terrifying to handle. Sometimes we hide a lot behind ourselves. ‘Terrified’ was an outlet for me to be able to tackle scary thoughts and worries in more of an abstract way. Things can seem impossible to talk about and articulate sometimes. I feel that making this album has enabled me and my sister Lily to open up a lot more and be honest with our songs as it just makes them so much more real.”

Which Way to Happy is the band’s sophomore album and follows their debut album, Until the Tide Creeps In, released in 2019 also via Bella Union. Jack produced the album, which was mixed by Dave Fridmann. New backing band members Henry Nicholson, Joe Taylor, and Hannah Feenstra all contributed to the recording of Which Way to Happy, as did composer Fiona Brice.

As the pandemic took hold, Jack and Lily decamped to a cottage in Cornwall to begin writing and recording the album.

“We were there for about two or three months,” says Jack in a press release. “It was a tiny cottage and we all went a bit bonkers, and we drank far too much, and it spiraled a bit out of control. There were a lot of emotional evenings and realizations, which I think reflects in the songs. Writing and recording new music was a huge part of the recovery process for all of us.”

The album includes “Sailing Still,” a new song the band shared in July via a video directed by Jack and starring Lily. “Sailing Still” was one of our Songs of the Week. Then when the album was announced they shared its second single, “Iced Gems,” which was also one of our Songs of the Week. Then they shared the album’s third single, “Sudoku,” via a video for the track (which also landed on Songs of the Week).

Earlier this year Lily (under her alter-ego KookieLou) sang guest vocals on the Lost Horizons song “Heart of a Hummingbird,” which was one of our Songs of the Week.

Read our interview with Penelope Isles on Until the Tide Creeps In.

Penelope Isles UK Tour Dates:

2021:

11/20/21 - London - Shacklewell Arms
11/24/21– Bristol – Exchange
11/25/21 – Cambridge – Portland Arms
11/26/21 – Manchester – Gullivers
11/27/21 – Chester – St. Marys
12/10/21 – Brighton – Concorde 2

2022:

1/18/22 - Bristol - Rough Trade (in store)
1/20/22 - London - Rough Trade East (in store)
1/21/22 - Brighton - Resident Music (in store)
1/22/22 – Guernsey – St. James
1/25/22 – Guildford – The Boileroom
1/26/22– Cardiff – Clwb Ifor Bach
1/27/22 - Southsea - Pie & Vinyl (signing)
1/27/22 – Portsmouth – The Loft
1/28/22– Reading – Face Bar
1/29/22 – Nottingham – Bodega
1/30/22– Leicester – The Musician
2/1/22– Birkenhead – Future Yard
2/3/22 – Dublin – The Sound House
2/4/22 – Galway – Roisin Dubh
2/5/22 – Limerick – Kasbah Social Club
2/8/22 - Manchester - Low Four
2/9/22 – Leeds – Brudenell Social Club
2/10/22 – Bath – Moles
2/11/22 – Exeter – Cavern
2/12/22 – Falmouth – The Cornish Bank
2/16/22 – York – Fulford Arms
2/17/22 – Newcastle – Cluny 2
2/18/22– Glasgow – Hug & Pint
2/20/22 – Blackpool – Central Library
2/22/22 – Hare & Hounds
2/23/22 – London – Oslo
2/24/22 – St. Albans – The Horn
2/25/22 – Ipswich – The Smokehouse
2/26/22 – Tunbridge Wells – Tunbridge Wells Forum

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