The culmination of two years of graft by band members and longtime friends Jack Sedman and Harry Draper, this record is a sublime body of work that guides the listener through the band’s story, from heartbreak and loss to the joys of love and new life. “It’s the project we’re most proud of,” says Sedman. “The one we’re most invested in and emotionally connected to.” As soon as they landed on the title, Seafret envisioned the album as a story of darkness turning into light. “We’ve tried to find a balance on the album, so there are some songs that are about heartbreak and others that are really uplifting,” Draper points out. ‘Wonderland’ is us going out of our comfort zone a little bit, which has been amazing, and we find that when we do it, people love the music just as much.”
Seafret (Jack Sedman and Harry Draper) formed in 2011, after meeting at an open mic night near their hometown of Bridlington. Their debut album, 2016’s ‘Tell Me It’s Real’, charted in the UK and received positive reviews from critics, who praised its “real beauty” and delicate emotion. Seafret’s second album, 2020’s ‘Most Of Us Are Strangers’, received praise singling out the band’s “quality songwriting” and accomplished sound.
While ‘Wonderland’ will no doubt broaden Seafret’s already considerable audience, they also experienced an additional surge in popularity during the recording process. A sped-up version of their 2016 single ‘Atlantis’, from their debut album, went viral on TikTok, racking up 1.7 billion views with the song hashtag and, to date, more than 400 million streams on Spotify. “It just went mad,” Sedman says. “We didn’t even have TikTok at the time, so people were telling us what was happening. That’s spurred us on through our whole career, getting those reactions from people from different countries around the world.” Draper adds: “It’s incredible because the song came out in 2016. And we love TikTok now – there’s so much talent there! It’s really inspiring.
‘Wonderland’ was written while both Draper and Sedman were starting families with their partners, the project demonstrates their remarkable talent for songs that delve into the full spectrum of human emotion. Take opener ‘Never Say Never’, a hearts-racing folk-pop song crafted from skittering percussion and romantic guitar licks that nod to The Police. “I was never good at giving in,” Sedman sings. “Keep fighting for an open door/ No I’ll never say never, no more.” On the chorus, his voice lifts to a dazzling falsetto, filled with resolve.
Recent single ‘See I’m Sorry’ – a left-leaning pop track engineered by Grammy winner Dan Grech-Marguerat – was one of the last songs added to the album, as Sedman and Draper found their creative streak just kept going and going. “We thought the record was done,” Sedman admits with a laugh, “but we carried on writing…” The track serves as a mea culpa for “all of the little mistakes you make in life”, with the band calling up fans to get involved in the official music video. “It was such an amazing response,” he says, beaming. “They wrote down the things that they were sorry for, which took the edge of it just being me and Harry.” The fans were, of course, delighted upon learning they’d made it into the video: “It’s one of the best ones we’ve done,” Draper says. The hundreds of thousands of viewers who’ve watched the video since its release in January seem to agree.
One of the duo’s favourite ‘Wonderland’ tracks is ‘Made of Love’, inspired by a number of things but perhaps most of all the death of Sedman’s grandma. His voice is rough with grief, cracking with emotion as he reaches towards the heavens with a piecing falsetto. “When I listen to it, it reminds me of a close family, and of big starry skies,” he says. Draper’s piano riff offers an instant emotional impact, while guitar notes glimmer warmly like distant constellations. Title track ‘Wonderland’ is equally moving, but instead reflects the album’s overarching theme of emerging out of the dark and into the light. As Sedman puts it: “It’s about finally appreciating what you took for granted for so long.” Seafret believe this is their most meaningful work to date. Listen, and you’ll feel the same way, too.
