New Music: Fright Years – Do What You Wanna

Atmospheric dark rock at its most vibrant, Do What You Wanna is the latest single from hotly-tipped Edinburgh-based quartet Fright Years.

Taken from their upcoming debut Still Life EP, it packs a real sonic punch, the arrangement resonating with 80s post-punk and 90s alt.rock motifs, especially around the guitar riffs. A dynamic rhythm section powers the song along, but also deftly allows room for vocalist Jules Kelly to bring some intimate moments to the track.

There’s an air of familiarity around her voice, as if the angelic tones of Elizabeth Fraser were combining with the indie stylings of Harriet Wheeler or Dolores O’Riordan at their most passionate. 2025 should be a big year for Fright Years.

Speaking about the track, Kelly explains, “Do What You Wanna is simply about finding the joy in expressing yourself without fear of judgement. In equal embrace of self-confidence and embarrassment, the song is directed to our younger selves and all those moments you wish you could revisit with a wiser head.”

She continues, “There’s such potential for ridicule when trying new things or sharing your ideas but as you get older you realise it’s just the result of everyone scrambling to hide their own anxieties. Especially for young women, whose value is less commonly awarded to their ability to create a beautiful thing but rather to embody it themselves, the idea that people will ‘hang you either way’ is scary. When you realise that it’s not your responsibility to make people like you or what you create, and no-one really cares, everything becomes so much more fun.”

Still Life will be released on the 28th of February. The band plays King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut in Edinburgh on the 9th of February. For ticket and EP news, follow the band on Instagram. Fright Years are Jules Kelly on vocals, Harrison MacLeod-Bonnar on guitar, Christopher Jamieson on bass, and Struan Blacklock on drums.