NEWS
James Acaster has officially introduced his new band, The Wow! Scenario, alongside their debut song, ‘Zacuti’, featuring BC Camplight. More information about the project can be found below.
The Wow! Scenario began two decades ago and has now been brought to life by Acaster with his friend Graeme Wicks, BC Camplight and Emma Daman.
Their first album, ‘Stand in the Star. A Verse and a Chorus’, will arrive through Bella Union on October 23. Preorders are available here.
Listeners have also been given an early preview of the album through the jazz inspired lead single ‘Zacuti’, which is available to hear below.
Acaster and Wicks formed the group in Kettering in 2004. According to a press statement, they had already chosen to end the band by the time they recorded their full collection of songs with producer Chris Hamilton in December 2007.
The statement also revealed that the group’s name was inspired by an intoxicated audience member who tried to say they lacked “the X factor”. However, the person repeatedly used the wrong phrase and told them: “You don’t have the wow scenario, guys. You need to get the wow scenario”.
The musicians revisited the recordings with Hamilton in 2018, removing the original singing and replacing the vocal melodies with saxophone, clarinet and fiddle. At that stage, they planned to release the material as an instrumental record.
After deciding they were not satisfied with that version, the group returned to the studio for a third attempt in March 2023. BC Camplight and Emma Daman provided vocals for the new sessions, while the album was eventually mixed and finished in March 2025.
1. ‘Diving!’
2. ‘Once More!’
3. ‘Golf Socks!’
4. ‘Alpaca Spinner!’
5. ‘Reality!’
6. ‘Instructions!’
7. ‘Zacuti!’
8. ‘The Curse!’
Acaster previously created the music project Temps, which brought together a collective of 40 performers, including Quelle Chris, Xenia Rubinos, Shamir, NNAMDÏ and Seb Rochford.
When the collective was first revealed, the comedian and Off Menu podcast host discussed its origins during NME’s ‘In Conversation’ interview series.
“I was doing bands when I was a teenager into my early 20s, and I was like, ‘This is gonna be my entire life, all I’m gonna do is music,’” Acaster said. “When the band split up I started doing stand-up as a placeholder, and then I fell in love with stand-up and got really obsessed with that.
“I’d never made an album from scratch that didn’t exist yet – recording it and writing it at the same time – and I’d never produced anything before, or mixed something as intensely as this one. There’s a lot of new things – if I had been doing it on my own, I don’t know how long I would have lasted.”
Elton John has shared his family’s yearly summer playlist on the latest episode of his Rocket Hour show on Apple Music, with songs chosen together with his husband David Furnish and their sons, Zachary and Elijah.
During his appearance on Apple Music 1, the musician revealed that the family puts every song suggestion to a vote at home, with a track needing at least three votes before making the final cut. The playlist is packed with energetic songs, matching the family’s love for lively and feel good music throughout the summer.
The playlist brings together different generations and musical styles, combining iconic names from previous decades with newer electronic artists and dance music producers.
Among the songs chosen are Stevie Wonder’s "Higher Ground," Bob Marley & The Wailers' "Could You Be Loved," and Tom Petty’s "Runnin' Down A Dream." John also praised Petty’s music, describing the 1989 album Full Moon Fever as one of the greatest rock albums ever made.
Zachary and Elijah’s musical tastes are also represented, with the playlist featuring current UK club tracks alongside familiar reggae and pop favorites. John singled out "Free Your Mind," the collaboration between Leeds dance duo Prospa and producer Cloonee, as one song his sons especially enjoy.
The broadcast also features a mix of electronic and crossover sounds, including Peggy Gou and Ayra Starr’s "Wo, man," Jamie xx’s "Baddy On the Floor" featuring Honey Dijon, Barry Can’t Swim’s "Return To Bhibo," and Fisher’s reworking of Bob Sinclar’s "World, Hold On." Other artists included in the selection are Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lykke Li, Groove Armada, Kacey Musgraves, Wiz Khalifa, and Role Model.
John noted that the songs played during the radio show are only part of the much larger playlist the family listens to during the summer.
The complete episode of Rocket Hour can be streamed on demand through Apple Music and Apple Podcasts.
