Alternative dream-rock four-piece Leem of Earth are returning in 2026 with ‘SEE’, an ambitious concept album inspired by George MacDonald’s Victorian fairy tale The Princess and Curdie.

The project sees the band revisit the ‘90s alternative rock that helped shape their sound while bringing in a much wider range of influences and instruments, including erhu, hammered dulcimer and Persian santoor.

The first taste of the album comes with ‘The Greatest Gift’, a brooding, cinematic track that introduces the story at the point where its central journey is about to begin.

Written by vocalist Gileah Taylor during the development of the album, the song takes inspiration from Curdie’s quest and turns its themes of uncertainty, purpose and self-discovery into something distinctly contemporary.

There’s a restless quality to the track, with Taylor’s ethereal vocals sitting over a dream-rock backdrop that gradually builds around the band’s alternative roots.

It started life as a simple piano demo before each member developed their own parts, with the finished arrangement finding a balance between atmosphere and forward movement.

“This song is inspired by a fairy tale and it talks about the turning point in the story of every person who is sent on a quest: will they or won’t they?” the band explains. “Of course, they usually don’t have a choice and are already on the quest.”

That idea feels particularly relevant to the way we talk about life now. The modern obsession with personal ‘side quests’ gives the band an unexpected connection between MacDonald’s 19th-century story and contemporary culture, becoming one of the foundations of ‘SEE’.

Leem of Earth features Gileah Taylor, Ben May, Nick May and Eric Taylor. Gileah and Ben first met as teenagers in the late ‘90s while playing in separate bands, eventually forming Leem of Earth years later.

Ben brought in his younger brother Nick on bass, while Nick recruited his roommate Eric as drummer.

That mix of generations has become part of the band’s sound. Gileah and Ben bring their ‘90s alternative influences, while Nick and Eric draw from the mid-2000s Florida music scene they grew up around.

Following a trilogy of three-song EPs released through Velvet Blue Music in 2018 and 2019 and two singles in 2022, ‘SEE’ marks the band’s most expansive project yet.

With ‘The Greatest Gift’, Leem of Earth begin a record about quests, change and the realisation that sometimes the journey has already started before you even know where you’re going.

Listen to The Greatest Gift below.