Would-Be-Goods, with their magnificent debut album, released in 1988, on the legendary él label, The Camera Loves Me, had a tremendous influence on the birth and development of the twee pop scene. They were initially conceived as one of the “artificial” groups on Mike Alway’s él label, based on the glamorous looks of Jessica Griffin and her sister Miranda, but it was immediately clear that Jessica Griffin was a highly talented songwriter: her songs are original and cultured, blending observation, glamour, and culture with exquisite melodies. Mondo, produced by Monochrome Set singer Bid, was released in 1993, and when in 1999 Peter Momtchiloff, formerly of Talulah Gosh, Heavenly, and Marine Research joined the band, two EPs, Emmanuelle Béart (in 2001) and Sugar Mummy (in 2002), were released, followed by a new album, Brief Lives, released on Matinée Recordings.  The band recorded a fourth album, The Morning After, in 2004 and a fifth, Eventyr, was released in November 2008. It was only in October 2020, during lockdown, that Jessica Griffin began a new project: writing a song a day, with a new title provided every evening by her partner and bandmate Peter Momtchiloff. The Night Life was released in June 2023, and comprises twenty songs from the ‘song a day’ project. Tears Before Bedtime is their new album and it will be released via Skep Wax Records on February 13th 2026. The first single is The Gallopers.

What Jessica Says: “The Gallopers is the first single from a new Would-be-goods’ full-band album, Tears Before Bedtime, which will be released by Skep Wax Records on February 13, 2026. Inspired by the drama and lush melodies of Roy Orbison’s songs and the sinister fairground stories of Ray Bradbury, the song is about innocence on the cusp of experience. Is the girl who ‘stayed too long at the fair’ the mother or the daughter? I can’t decide.”

The Gallopers is out now.Tears Before Bedtime will be released via Skep Wax Records on February 13th 2026. Look HERE for more information on Would-Be-Goods.