GUISE, the alias of Jess Guise, sees out 2023 with one of her most heart-breaking, humbling songs to date: Wish. The new track precedes a run of UK dates with folk hero Seth Lakeman with a date at the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds on November 30th.

Out today via Xtra Mile Recordings, Wish is Guise’s first release since the emotional rollercoaster that was her debut album Youngest Daughter, and this standalone single finds her in similarly fine fettle. Written as a conversation with her late father, it finds Jess reminiscing on the immortal memories they shared together, while wondering what he would have made of the way her life has turned out since. As she explains:

“Wish is a conversation with my Dad, who died suddenly when I was 18. It’s my best attempt at expressing the continued pain of losing someone you love, and what it’s been like learning to carry that love around without him still being here to receive it. Music was a shared language for us and this is the closest I can get to feeling like I’m still actually talking to him. He was the wisest person I’ve ever known and navigating the world without his advice has been a hard and relentless challenge, really. I always, always want to know what he’d think, especially about what I write.”

“I was already proud of this song” Jess adds, “but recording it with my dear friend Lukas Drinkwater, who connected to it so personally and brought some completely fresh ideas to the table along with his incredible musicianship, has resulted in something that neither of us expected. It was such a joy to see the song grow in the studio like that, and I think it’s become my favourite thing I’ve made to date. I’m about as sure as I can ever be that my Dad would like this one.”