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Sep 22, 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 another new song from it, “Sudoku,” via a video for it.

“‘Sudoku’ is probably the oldest song on the album. We used to play it in our old band, Your Gold Teeth, back on the Isle of Man when Lily and I first started making music,” Jack explains in a press release. “Dad loves a sudoku puzzle whilst he’s sat on the loo. So this one is for him! It’s a special song for us and we wanted to bring it back and play it with Penelope Isles.”

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.

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:

11/5/21 – Brighton – Resident Records (instore)
11/6/21 – London – Rough Trade East (instore)
11/8/21 – Totnes – Drift Records (instore)
11/23/21 – Tunbridge Wells @ Tunbridge Wells Forum *
11/24/21 – Bristol @ Exchange *
11/25/21 – Cambridge @ Portland Arms *
11/26/21 – Manchester @ Gullivers *
11/27/21 – Chester @ St. Marys *
11/28/21 – Northampton @ The Black Prince
11/30/21 – Guildford @ The Boileroom *
12/1/21 – London @ Oslo **
12/2/21 – St. Albans @ The Horn
12/ 3/21 – Ipswich @ The Smokehouse **
12/4/21 – York @ Fulford Arms **
12/5/21 – Blackpool @ Central Library **
12/7/21 – Glasgow @ Hug & Pint **
12/8/21 – Newcastle @ Cluny 2 **
12/9/21 – Birmingham @ Hare & Hounds **
12/10/21 – Brighton @ Concorde 2

* Holiday Ghosts supporting
** Laundromat supporting

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