Too Late Now

Last updated
"Too Late Now"
Too Late Now cover.jpg
Single by Wet Leg
from the album Wet Leg
A-side "Oh No"
Released29 November 2021 (2021-11-29)
Genre
Length3:29
Label Domino
Songwriter(s)
  • Rhian Teasdale
  • Hester Chambers
  • Michael Champion
Producer(s) Dan Carey
Wet Leg singles chronology
"Wet Dream"
(2021)		"Too Late Now" / "Oh No"
(2021)		"Angelica"
(2022)
Official video
"Too Late Now" on YouTube

"Too Late Now" is a song by English indie rock duo Wet Leg. It was written by both members of the band, Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers, with bassist Michael Champion. As for most of their debut album, the track was produced by Dan Carey.

Contents

It was released alongside its double A-side "Oh No" on 29 November 2021 through Domino as the third single from their eponymous debut album.

The following year, the song was remixed by Belgian electronic rock band Soulwax. This version was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards.

Background and composition

"Too Late Now" has been described as a bait-and-switch because it opens with a post-punk riff that does not ignite. [1] The song begins with a guitar and a bass before a simple kick beat is incorporated. Right before the first verse, the drums switch to a more complex pattern. [2] It starts slowly and crescendos toward a satisfying climax. [3] Chris DeVille of Stereogum called the track a "slow-building powerhouse". [4]

Different musical techniques are used throughout the song, including artificial reverb in the chorus and delay applied to the snare drum. The instruments occasionally drop out so that the focus switches to the vocals. [2] The songwriting is clear and simple, [4] encapsulating the everyday life of adulthood. [5] The duo's guitarist Hester Chambers provides backing vocals [2] while main vocalist Rhian Teasdale performs the song with the same detached semi-speak technique she has been using for the band's previous singles. [1]

Ethan Spivey of WRLT said that "Too Late Now" is "dream pop or rock externally, but reads more like grunge music". [2] Alisha Sweeney of KVOQ included it on the list of her ten favorite songs of 2022. [6]

Promotion

The band performed the song during their Tiny Desk (Home) Concert, alongside "Chaise Longue", "Wet Dream" and "Oh No". Their performance was released on 1 December 2021. It intersperses VHS clips with footage captured on modern cameras, as a nod to their sound which is inspired by the 70s. [7] They chose to perform "Too Late Now" on American TV for their appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden on 31 March 2022. [8]

Music video

The music video for "Too Late Now" was directed by Fred Rowson, unlike Wet Leg's first two music videos which were self-directed. In the video, which features sci-fi elements, both member of the duo are zapped onto the empty roof of a parking garage, quickly followed by three men. All dressed in spa robes, they wander in crowded streets and lush countrysides. [3]

Soulwax remix

A remix of "Too Late Now" by Belgian electronic rock band Soulwax was released on 6 July 2022. [9] It was also released as a twelve-inch single through Deewee on 22 July 2022. [10] This version features arpeggio synths, 808 drums and vocal chops. [11]

Tyler Golsen of Far Out thought that the Soulwax remix sounded more like a new song than a remix. He rated it 6.6/10, saying that the "only recognisable element of the original version of the song is Rhian Teasdale’s vocals, which are chopped up, pitch modulated, and transformed within an entirely new composition". [12] Winnie Litchfield of American Songwriter expressed the opposite feeling, stating that this remix gives the song a tech house feel while keeping the original flavor of the song. [11]

It was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards. [13]

Charts

Chart performance for "Too Late Now"
Chart (2022)Peak
position
US Adult Alternative Airplay ( Billboard ) [14] 35

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Chemical Brothers</span> British electronic music duo

The Chemical Brothers are an English electronic music duo formed by Ed Simons and Tom Rowlands in Manchester in 1989. They were pioneers in bringing the big beat genre to the forefront of pop culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Crystal Method</span> American electronic music duo

The Crystal Method is an American electronic music act formed in Las Vegas, Nevada, by Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland in the early 1990s. They were pioneers of the big beat genre and their music has appeared in numerous TV shows, films, video games, and advertisements. Their 1997 debut studio album Vegas was certified platinum in 2007, and saw follow-ups Tweekend, Legion of Boom, Divided by Night, and The Crystal Method. In 2017, Ken Jordan retired from music and left the group, with Scott Kirkland adopting The Crystal Method as a solo moniker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soulwax</span> Belgian electronic music band

Soulwax are a Belgian electronic band and DJ/production collective from Ghent, who formed in 1995. Centred around brothers David and Stephen Dewaele, other current members include Igor and Laima Cavalera, and Stefaan Van Leuven. The group first rose to prominence following the release of their album Much Against Everyone's Advice, and have released five studio albums to date. Outside of Soulwax, the Dewaeles also perform DJ sets under the moniker 2manydjs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Freeland</span> English record producer and DJ (born 1973)

Adam Freeland is an English record producer and DJ. He is also the owner and creative director of the record label Marine Parade, which has released material by artists including Evil Nine, ILS, Alex Metric and Jape. Born in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England, he first began DJing in 1991, originally mixing deep house and later drum and bass. After becoming an in-demand DJ around Britain, he released his first mix album Coastal Breaks (1996) and formed the electronic music duo Tsunami One with Kevin Beber. From 1999 to 2001, Freeland hosted a show on Friday night on London's Kiss 100 FM. In 2000, he released his debut studio album, Now & Them.

Jackson Fourgeaud, known professionally as Jackson and His Computerband, is a French IDM artist. He released his debut album Smash with Warp Records in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hot Chip</span> British electronic music band

Hot Chip are an English synthpop band formed in London in 2000. The group consists of multi-instrumentalists Alexis Taylor, Joe Goddard, Al Doyle, Owen Clarke, and Felix Martin. They are occasionally joined by former member Rob Smoughton for live performances and studio recordings. The group primarily produces music in the synth-pop and alternative dance genres, drawing influences from house and disco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Bellamy</span> Musical artist

Thomas Rhys Bellamy is a British musician. He is the multi-instrumentalist responsible for contributing guitar, bass, synthesizer, keyboards, trumpet, programming, samples, melodica, harmonica, percussion, toy piano, bowed guitar, decks, FX/beats, vocals and lyrics in the band the Cooper Temple Clause. He is also a keen DJ and has remixed several songs by the Cooper Temple Clause as part of his side project, Rhysmix. Following the split of the band, Bellamy has turned his full attention to remixing and DJing under the Rhysmix alias. He is currently collaborating with DJ Eddy Temple-Morris under the name Losers, remixing and producing music in the Bleak House, a studio in rural Berkshire that formerly housed the Cooper Temple Clause.

Philip Steir is an American drummer, remixer, composer and record producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WhoMadeWho</span> Danish experimental pop band

WhoMadeWho is a Copenhagen-based experimental pop trio, who formed in 2003. The band consists of jazz guitarist Jeppe Kjellberg, drummer Tomas Barfod and singer/bassist Tomas Høffding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Happy Now (Take That song)</span> 2011 single by Take That

"Happy Now" is a song by English pop group Take That from their sixth studio album, Progress. The song features Gary Barlow and Robbie Williams performing lead vocals. The song was released as the third single from the album, mainly to promote the group's Comic Relief sketch, "Fake That".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">After You (Pulp song)</span> 2013 single by Pulp

"After You" is a song by British band Pulp released as a single in January 2013, the first new single by the band in eleven years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Idles</span> English rock band

Idles are a British rock band formed in Bristol in 2009. The band consists of Adam Devonshire (bass), Joe Talbot (vocals), Mark Bowen (guitar), Lee Kiernan (guitar), and Jon Beavis (drums).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fontaines D.C.</span> Irish rock band

Fontaines D.C. are an Irish post-punk band formed in Dublin in 2014. The band consists of Grian Chatten (vocals), Carlos O'Connell (guitar), Conor Curley (guitar), Conor Deegan III (bass), and Tom Coll (drums).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wet Leg</span> British indie rock duo

Wet Leg are a British indie rock group from the Isle of Wight, founded in 2019 by Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers. They debuted with the single "Chaise Longue" in 2021. Their self-titled debut album debuted in 2022 at number one on the UK Albums Chart, Australia's ARIA Albums Chart and the Irish Albums Chart. The album was shortlisted for the 2022 Mercury Prize. At the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, Wet Leg won Best Alternative Music Album for their debut and Best Alternative Music Performance for "Chaise Longue", and were nominated for Best New Artist. They also won Best New Artist and Best British Group at the 2023 Brit Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhian Teasdale</span> English musician

Rhian Louise Teasdale is a musician from Formby, England. While best known for being one of the members of Wet Leg, she released several songs before that under the name Rhain. She was associated with the music scene in Bristol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chaise Longue (song)</span> 2021 single by Wet Leg

"Chaise Longue" is the debut single by English rock duo Wet Leg, released through Domino Recording Company on 15 June 2021 as the lead single from their eponymous debut album (2022). The song went viral in 2021, having had millions of streams and video views, and it won the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Performance at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wet Dream (Wet Leg song)</span> 2021 single by Wet Leg

"Wet Dream" is a song by English indie rock duo Wet Leg. It was written by singer-guitarists Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers, along with guitarist Joshua Mobaraki, and produced by Dan Carey. It was released through Domino on 28 September 2021 as the second single from their debut album Wet Leg.

<i>Wet Leg</i> (album) 2022 studio album by Wet Leg

Wet Leg is the debut studio album by British rock duo Wet Leg, released on 8 April 2022 by Domino. It was promoted by the viral hit "Chaise Longue", followed by the singles "Wet Dream", "Too Late Now", "Oh No", "Angelica", and "Ur Mum". The album received acclaim from music critics, topped the charts in Australia and the United Kingdom, and entered the top ten charts in Belgium, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and New Zealand. It was shortlisted for the 2022 Mercury Prize and it won the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards and nominated for Album of the Year at the 2023 Brit Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wagging Tongue</span> 2023 single by Depeche Mode

"Wagging Tongue" is a song by English electronic band Depeche Mode. It was released on 7 July 2023 as the third single from their fifteenth studio album, Memento Mori.

"Ur Mum" is a 2022 single by Wet Leg. Released on 4 April 2022 as the last single from their debut album Wet Leg, the song is a diatribe directed at an ex-boyfriend and his mother, and received positive critical reception, particularly for its lyrical content and for its eleven second scream and countdown to. It charted at No. 46 on the UK Independent Singles Chart, and was rated by Consequence as the 50th best song of 2022. It has also been performed several times in concerts.

References

  1. 1 2 Newstead, Al (2 February 2022). "Wet Leg's "Too Late Now" Sees Them Accepting Life's Pressures". Double J . Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Spivey, Ethan (9 February 2022). "Wet Leg – "Too Late Now": DJ Pick of the Week". WRLT . Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  3. 1 2 Helfland, Raphael (29 November 2021). "Wet Leg Announces Debut Album, Share Two New Singles". The Fader . Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  4. 1 2 DeVille, Chris (5 April 2022). "Album of the Week: Wet Leg - Wet Leg". Stereogum . Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  5. ↑ Reilly, Nick (29 November 2021). "Wet Leg Announce Debut Album and Share New Tracks "Too Late Now" and "Oh No"". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  6. ↑ "Indie 102.3 Staff Picks Their Favorite Music of 2022!". KVOQ . 15 December 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  7. ↑ Skinner, Tom (1 December 2021). "Watch Wet Leg's debut appearance on NPR's 'Tiny Desk'". NME . Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  8. ↑ Campbell, Erica (1 April 2022). "Watch Wet Leg's "Phenomenal" Performance of "Too Late Now" on James Corden". NME . Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  9. ↑ Redfern, Mark (6 July 2022). "Wet Leg Share New Soulwax Remix of "Too Late Now" and Announce New Tour Dates". Under the Radar . Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  10. ↑ Perry, Sally (6 July 2022). "Wet Leg's "Too Late Now" Single Given the Legendary Soulwax Treatment". On the Wight. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  11. 1 2 Litchfield, Winnie (6 July 2022). "Wet Leg Reveals Soulwax Remix of "Too Late Now"". American Songwriter . Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  12. ↑ Golsen, Tyler (7 July 2022). "Wet Leg Release New Remix of "Too Late Now"". Far Out . Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  13. ↑ "Grammy Awards 2023: The Full List of Nominees". The New York Times . 15 November 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  14. ↑ "Adult Alternative Airplay". Billboard . Retrieved 18 December 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.