The Wedding Present – Maxi

In 1996, The Wedding Present released Mini – an EP featuring six tracks that all had connections to motoring. Almost thirty years on, David Gedge has revisited the concept with Maxi, a brand-new, six-track EP which is again loosely based around the theme of driving. But this time… the result is significantly more expansive.

Maxi arrives swiftly after the release of 40, a commemorative reflection of The Wedding Present’s complex and fascinating catalogue across four-vinyl and four-CD formats, with the compilation’s final track being ‘Hot Wheels’ – a track from Maxi.

Although Maxi follows the same concept as Mini, the 2025 model of The Wedding Present’s vehicle is discernibly grander, with Gedge hinting that guitarist Rachael Wood – who was new to the band at the time of writing – might be one of the reasons why. ‘Scream, If You Want To Go Faster’ – the opening track – mesmerises with a slow-building, post-rock feel before it revs up to set the EP’s tone and flows into the infectious riff of ‘Grand Prix’ – itself driven forward by the complexities of Wood’s playing.

‘Hot Wheels’ and ‘Two For The Road’ – tracks three & four – are unmistakably Wedding Present. Gedge’s urgent guitar playing and lyrics shine their headlights on the challenges of the heart, and allow the listener to return to terra firma with a more familiar sound that effortlessly stands alongside classic Wedding Present releases. ‘Interceptor’ – track five – is steered by the bass until a roaring guitar and pounding drums shift gears to bring the listener back full circle to the post-rock feel of Maxi’s opening track. Crossing the EP’s finishing line is the epic ‘Silver Shadow’, another track that shifts in tempo, evoking a feeling of tenderness alongside the elated emotion of finding the one. Maxi undoubtedly takes the listener on a journey. This really is The Wedding Present at their creative best, pushing both the boundaries of their sound and the expectations of the listener, while the lyrics provocatively paint pictures in a way that only David Gedge can manage.

“As I said in my sleeve notes for 40, the songs we recorded for Maxi were written relatively quickly because I had felt particularly inspired, both lyrically – with situations occurring in my life – and musically – writing with the then recently-arrived Rachael. The resulting tracks feel bigger and moodier than we’ve had for a while… and they’re certainly feistier, thanks to The Wedding Present’s new rock queen and her armoury of guitars and pedals!” (David Gedge)