Stuffed Animals began as the project of twin brothers Russell and Jamie Goldie and their friend Lewis McClure in rural Angus, later joined by lead guitarist Dom Swetman in Edinburgh. After a hiatus that scattered the band across the UK, they’ve come back fully committed, playing sold out shows at venues like the Mash House. They’ve also lined up a self-titled EP, recorded with Dinosaur 94’s Ed Meltzer and due out this November on Glasgow’s No Soap label.
“Wide Open”, the band’s new single, opens with rich emo guitars, a repetitive bass line, and laid back drums that sound gentle and simple from the start. The vocals come in clean and clear, carrying a distinct, unhurried cadence that sits boldly in the mix without straining for attention. About a minute in, the song opens up into distorted guitars and a more dynamic bass line, pushing the song into a fuller and more intense chorus before settling back into that same calm, solemn place. Only now, it carries extra weight from the grit it just passed through.
The lyric “This day of yours is wide open, sky, and holes in my faith” shows that same back and forth, openness, and doubt sitting side by side.
The mix stays clean and full from start to finish, and the way the song keeps shifting between restraint and intensity gives it a real emotional arc. “Wide Open” doesn’t rush to make its point; it earns it slowly, and that patience is exactly what makes it land.
Take a listen to “Wide Open” below.
Written by Toyo Senpai
