Fresh off the back of their recent single “Wheal Jane” bagging a ‘Track of the Week’ nod from Classic Rock, Wille and the Bandits are back with something a little different. The band have just released “Reina del Mar”, the latest cut from their upcoming album Salt Roots.
Set for release on 27th February (pre-orders open now), Salt Roots promises to be an exploratory record, and if this new track is anything to go by, they aren’t afraid to mix things up. “Reina del Mar” (which translates to ‘Queen of the Sea’) leans heavily into a Latin-rock vibe, incorporating double bass and piano to create something much more atmospheric than your standard blues-rock stomper.
According to frontman Wille, the song has been brewing for quite some time. “I wrote the initial riff around 10 years ago while travelling around Cuba and listening to some of the Buena Vista Social Club members still playing in Havana,” he explains. “However, it wasn’t until I was on tour with a few days off in Galicia, Spain, knocking around and waiting for some surf to appear, that the idea of Maria came about… The song is about waiting for the sea to show its magic.”
The sea isn’t just a lyrical theme here; it’s central to the band’s ethos. They’ve partnered with Surfers Against Sewage for this release, using their platform to help protect the oceans that inspired the music. It’s a nice touch that adds a bit of weight to the release.
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The band will be taking the new album on the road across the UK this March and April. If you fancy catching them live, here is where they are heading:
Salt Roots UK Tour 2026:
- 4th March – Bristol, Fleece
- 5th March – Southampton, The Brook
- 6th March – Stowmarket, John Peel Centre
- 7th March – Guildford, The Star
- 11th March – Manchester, Night and Day
- 12th March – Edinburgh, Voodoo Rooms
- 13th March – Glasgow, Rum Shack
- 14th March – Newcastle, Cluny
- 18th March – Cardiff, Acapela
- 19th March – Shrewsbury, Albert’s Shed
- 20th March – Liverpool, Adelphi
- 21st March – Huddersfield, Amped
- 22nd March – Nottingham, Bodega
- 27th March – Sheffield, Greystones
- 28th March – Liskeard, Carnglaze Caverns (w/ Martin Harley, True Strays, Echo Town, James Dixon)
- 29th April – London, Half Moon Putney
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Header image by Anthony Butler
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