Many things changed for Wet Leg ahead of its second album, Moisturizer — but one constant was acclaimed producer Dan Carey (Fontaines D.C., Caroline Polachek, Grimes), who returned to the fold after helming the band’s self-titled debut and helped the group’s new lineup unleash its sound.
Below, he reflects on creating the sessions that sculpted the British group’s latest full-length, standout memories from the studio and more.
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What were your expectations before heading into the studio?
When we did the first record together, no one was quite expecting what was going to happen. The second time around, they weren’t working in an imaginary space, and they knew that people were going to be listening to it. They didn’t want to repeat themselves and wanted a darker, slower, heavier sound.
How did bringing the full band into the studio influence the sessions?
Everyone had contributed to the writing of the songs, so the whole band had a deeper knowledge of not just what their parts were, but what the songs meant and how they were constructed. The playing really benefited from that.
How did they interact in the studio?
They’d toured so much that the mechanics of playing together were so down and they’re super tight, but it’d gone beyond that — they’re almost telepathic! These new songs hadn’t been overrehearsed and they were still fresh. The band were still at a point where they were excited to play it.
How do you approach each session?
I definitely adapt [my methods] for different artists. It has a lot to do with the personalities. I don’t like to have a set process that I stick to every record. I’ve got a technique in the studio which is to try and avoid playing the same song over and over again. If we’re recording, I’d package songs into groups of two or three, so you never have that repetition of hammering a song until it’s lost its light. Everything was fresh because of that and I think it shows in the record. You can hear things being discovered in the playing. Sometimes I’ll try and limit the number of sounds and equipment each musician can use. I think one of the pitfalls can be people just adding and adding layers and I like things to be clear.
What song are you particularly proud of?
I already liked the demo to “Davina McCall,” but when we started tracking it in the studio it started sounding so heartwarming. When Rhian [Teasdale] did her first vocal track, I actually started crying. It was a really funny moment. I thought it was so beautiful and I kind of lost it.
Was it a fun process?
Both records have had an intense feeling of being on holiday. We recorded [Moisturizer] in Brighton, away from where they lived and my usual studio in London; we’d all cycle into the studio together and have lots of fun. Hester [Chambers, guitarist] put it really well: About halfway through, she was like, “I feel nostalgic for now. I’m already missing it.” And I knew exactly what she meant.
This story appears in the Oct. 4, 2025, issue of Billboard.
