Hollow Hand - Wish Road South

Hollow Hand – Wish Road South

Hollow Hand's Wish Road South is a beautifully melodic and eclectic blend of indie folk, British folk rock, psychedelic folk, alternative rock and indie pop, marking a significant evolution for Brighton songwriter Max Kinghorn-Mills. Released in September 2026 via Loose Music, the album is the fourth Hollow Hand record and sees Kinghorn-Mills moving away from his earlier bedroom-recording approach towards the energy and spontaneity of a full band.

Recorded in a new studio space in Brighton with drummer Oliver Newton and bassist Leo Clarke, the songs were tracked live as a band, giving Wish Road South a warmer, more organic and collaborative feel. Kinghorn-Mills had spent the preceding years touring and working alongside artists including Caitlin Rose and Aoife Nessa Frances, as well as supporting MJ Lenderman, experiences which helped inspire a fresh approach to Hollow Hand's sound.

The album opens with Flowers In The Garden, establishing its atmospheric folk-rock character before moving into the breezy and infectious Here Are The Tulips. Released as the album's lead single, the track takes inspiration from Kinghorn-Mills' regular bus journey to the studio, turning an everyday commute into a charming piece of melodic folk-pop. The title Wish Road South itself refers to a stop on this journey towards the Sussex coast.

Elsewhere, Kiss The Boot brings punchier guitar riffs and vocal harmonies, while Love Again continues the album's intimate, observational songwriting. The wonderfully titled Black Metal Corpse Paint highlights the record's more eclectic side, with the album drawing on influences ranging from British folk rock and psychedelic folk to the Velvet Underground and alternative indie.

The second half of the record includes I Turned My Back On The World, a reflective and melancholic song featuring imagery of friendship, memory and the Cornish coast, followed by the catchy Heavy Metal T-Shirt. Drinking With Judy injects a dose of energetic power-pop, while Green Meadows Of England and the closing A Gentle Place return to the album's more pastoral and reflective qualities.

For fans of Hollow Hand, indie folk, British folk rock, psychedelic folk, alternative rock, Wilco, MJ Lenderman, Teenage Fanclub and classic British indie, Wish Road South is a particularly strong contemporary release. Its mixture of jangling guitars, melodic songwriting, warm live-band arrangements and understated psychedelia makes it an excellent addition to any modern indie or folk-rock vinyl collection.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Flowers In The Garden
2. Here Are The Tulips
3. Kiss The Boot
4. Love Again
5. Black Metal Corpse Paint

Side B

1. I Turned My Back On The World
2. Heavy Metal T-Shirt
3. Drinking With Judy
4. Green Meadows Of England
5. A Gentle Place