Wotts are a band who never come off the boil. Hot on the heels of their EP FLANK! they have another on the way, and terminal is our first Tame Impala-inspired taste of it.

By Graeme Smith

Opening fuzzy and dreamy, terminal quickly finds a bass groove that complements laidback vocals and a bright electronic arrangement. I found my head moving unconsciously during the standout chorus. Lyrically, the track talks of the uneasiness of breakups.

We’ve been sharing Wotts’ music since 2022, and the duo have experimented with their sound since then. “We actually started as a hip-hop collective but once the pandemic hit, we went as far left from that sound as possible and hadn’t really looked back,” they say. “This song is a bit of a nod to that beginning.”

I think they’ve found their niche, combining lush electronica, psych rock, and dream pop with a rhythmic underbelly. In case it hasn’t been obvious over the past few years, I dig them.

Based in Ottawa, Canada, Wotts are vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Jayem, and bassist and guitarist Ricky 100.

Terminal is the first single to be released from their upcoming EP COPE. “We never planned to make a companion EP for FLANK!, but it makes total sense that life after loss crept into our creative process,” says Wotts. “We can’t control what happens in life, but we can do our best to move forward. Sometimes that means talking to people, cutting bad ones out, or making songs to escape.”

The single is out now, and you can listen to it below.