Gently Tender (mems. of Palma Violets) share new EP, 'This Was Once Fields'

Today, South London six-piece Gently Tender are excited to share their new EP, This Was Once Fields, out now via TODO Records. This Was Once Fields explores the intertwined relationship between country and city, and the bodily and spiritual sensations of journeying through both. Singles “A Mound A Field” and “Wild in the Uplands” are odes to the great outdoors and roaming wild and free in nature.

LISTEN TO THIS WAS ONCE FIELDS

This Was Once Fields is Gently Tender’s first new music since 2023; sonically inspired by the landscapes of the rolling hills and rugged moors of the British countryside, the band’s stirring indie rock sound is built from lush harmonies and pastoral melodies, touching on elements of folk, punk , and soul.

Change became such a driving force in the lives of Gently Tender in the years following the release of their Matthew E White-produced 2022 debut album Take Hold Of Your Promise! that the band’s first record, twelve songs of soulful, anthemic Americana, was also almost their last.

Seeking escape from the city in the relief of the great outdoors, frontman Fryer would head out from the studio to the green belt of North London to simply walk for miles upon miles, often until the last moments of light disappeared into the dusk. “The view of London from afar at nighttime was what really ignited a spark in me. I would reflect on my life and myself as I exist inside the city I’ve lived in for my entire life, that I’ve loved and fallen out of love with over again. The city does weigh on me heavily, but it’s not easy to leave a place you’ve loved forever.”

“The songs that make up this project represent different chapters, memories, thoughts, and reflections on the life I have lived in the city. I’ve always managed to live here but never felt like I actually belong in such a loud and fast-paced, nerve-jangling environment. These walks have provided me with a universe of material that I can dive back into when I need to escape, and that’s where this music was born.”

A collective effort since its very inception, Gently Tender opened its arms to musicians Francesca Brierley (multi-instrumentalist and vocalist who also makes music as heka) and Evie Hilyer-Ziegler (with whom Sam had played alongside in folk group Broadside Hacks and brings flourishes of violin and flute) to join former Palma Violets Sam Fryer, Pete Mayhew, and Will Doyle, plus guitarist Adam Brown.

Gently Tender will play a hometown headline show at London’s ICA on Wednesday, May 27; final tickets are on sale now. Today, the band also announced a headline tour of the UK and Ireland taking place this November, confirming 11 dates across the country and culminating at Bristol’s The Louisianna. See below for the full list of dates. Tickets are on sale now and available from https://www.gentlytender.co.uk/tickets.

GENTLY TENDER LIVE 2026

MAY

• 27 - London, UK - Institute of Contemporary Arts

AUGUST

• 1 - County Waterford, IE - All Together Now Festival

NOVEMBER

• 2 - Nottingham, UK - Bodega
• 3 - Norwich, UK - Norwich Arts Centre
• 4 - Sheffield, UK - Sidney & Matilda
• 5 - Birmingham, UK - Hare & Hounds
• 6 - Dublin, IE - Whelan's (Upstairs)
• 8 - Glasgow, UK - The Rum Shack
• 9 - Newcastle, UK - The Cluny 2
• 11 - Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club
• 12 - Manchester, UK - YES (Pink Room)
• 13 - Winchester, UK - The Railway Inn
• 14 - Bristol, UK - The Louisiana