Where creativity meets connection
Brighton-born duo WREX make electro-charged alt-rock to turbocharge heartbeats, snap necks and fill dancefloors and mosh pits. Shades of punk, nu-metal, pop and trance collide and coalesce but never clash; a wild explosion of riffs and synths with influences as diverse as While She Sleeps, Faithless and Linkin Park.
This is the WREX blueprint: a fierce, all-enveloping wall of sound with little time for music’s outdated boundaries or conventions; creativity, joy and emotion unbound. “WREX is about letting go – It’s a release from everything going on in the world around you, a purge of everything you’re thinking and feeling.”
As this boisterous trio get ready to play at Brighton’s The Great Escape, we grabbed them for 12 burning questions...
Welcome to The Great Escape 2025! How does it feel to be part of a festival known for launching new talent?
It’s great to be back at The Great Escape with such a jam-packed schedule this year. It’s always amazing to discover and meet new bands and friends from far and wide.
For people discovering you for the first time here in Brighton, how would you describe your sound in three words?
Electro-charged Alternative Rock
What’s the journey been like getting to this point — playing a showcase in front of new fans, press, and industry folk?
In terms of a journey, we’re only just getting started on where we want to go with this band. Every gig is an opportunity for us to show people what the band is about.
Do you approach a showcase festival like this differently from a typical gig or headline show?
No, we’re looking at this as a gig, not an industry showcase. First and foremost, we want everybody to enjoy our performance in the same way any audience would.
The Great Escape is packed with new sounds and fresh faces — Will you have a chance to discover any other artists at TGE, or any that you want to see?
We’re really excited to see our friends in Toy Parlour make their debut at this festival, as well as catching up with tour buddy Tom Saint. I’m sure we will discover many new favourite artists over the weekend as we bounce around all the participating venues.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given as an emerging artist in today’s music
scene?
Keep going - it’s okay to fight your own corner, don’t be afraid to reach out to people for opportunities.
Brighton has a buzzing creative vibe — have you explored the city before or been inspired by it in any way?
Collectively, we’ve lived in Brighton for a decade, despite that, the city always finds new and exciting things to surprise us with. It’s great to have such a vibrant local community on your doorstep as this is what drew us all to Brighton in the first place.
What’s one thing about your live performance that people might not expect until they see you on stage?
There’s only so much energy you can get from the internet. We push ourselves to give as much energy as we can and give every show our all.
If someone only had time to listen to one of your songs after the festival, which one should it be — and why?
Take A Walk - This is the opening track of our most recent record. It’s high energy, dual wielding
vocals and showcases a lot of core elements of our sound. If you like that then stick around and
listen to the rest of the EP!
How important are festivals like this for breaking through in the music industry today?
Festivals like this are a great opportunity to meet like minded people that you can collaborate with and build a future together. This industry is a crazy place and it’s always great to see the people who are still around.
What’s next for you after The Great Escape — any releases, tours, or surprises on the horizon?
We are currently mid tour, then supporting HIMALAYAS in Brighton on Weds 4 June, Wildfire Festival on Sat 28 June, then a couple of releases and another run of shows before the end of the year.
Finally - complete the sentence: “The Great Escape is the perfect place to…”
see WREX 5 times in 2 days!
WREX play Brighton’s Waterbear Venue on Sat 17 May (12:30 am), as part of The Great Escape 2025, along with a series of secret shows for The Alternative Great Escape.
SALT Staff Writer
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