Wield Your Hope Like A Weapon

The Exeter-based trio Soot Sprite have emerged as one of the UK’s most compelling underground acts, blending shoegaze, emo, and dream pop into something that feels completely of-the-moment. Across their debut album, Wield Your Hope Like A Weapon, frontwoman Elise Cook leads with raw lyrical candour, untangling grief, self-doubt, and resistance, veering from soft, tender passages to enormous walls of noise.

Starting as Cook’s solo bedroom project, Soot Sprite quickly expanded into a fully-formed live band, and earned critical nods for their lush guitar work and vulnerable songwriting, but Wield Your Hope Like A Weapon, released earlier this year on Specialist Subject records, is a major step up, capturing a life of small emotional earthquakes and quiet acts of strength.

The band have just concluded a tour of the UK in support of the album, hitting intimate venues where community matters, and their fanbase is growing with every gig. We caught up with Elise Cook to find out more:

Wield Your Hope Like A Weapon is such a powerful title - can you unpack it for us?

What was the writing process like for the album? Is it a collection of songs that have existed for a while or are they all responses to more current themes?

Are there any particular artists or albums that you’d point to as an influence?

How did you find the crowd reactions on tour?

How do you hope people feel listening to the album or seeing you live?

We noticed you make an appearance on the excellent new Regal Cheer album ‘Quite Good’. How did that come about, and are there any other bands or artists you’d like to shout out?

What are your favourite venues in the country?

The album was released on Specialist Subject Records, a label attached to one of the UK’s best-loved record shops. Can you tell our readers a bit more about Specialist Subject?

Do you feel optimistic about DIY culture in the UK right now?

What is the ultimate goal of Soot Sprite?