Drawing influences from almost everywhere in the DIY scene, Atlanta (sort of) based band The Wild is an act to watch. With influences ranging from Phil Ochs, to Bright Eyes, to Crass, The Wild’s unique folk/punk sound has earned them opening spots on tour with the likes of Against Me!, The Queers, and Joyce Manor. In addition, they’re also alumni of the Florida “Fest” family.
Their most recent album, Dreams Are Maps, was recorded over a week with engineer Laura Jane Grace (Against Me!). Although in the past The Wild has worked with producers, for their latest offering they found themselves with such a clear vision of what they wanted to accomplish, that they chose to self-produce the entire record. According to singer Witt Wisebram, the dynamic between The Wild and Laura Jane Grace came together naturally, “I have always really respected Against Me! and Laura’s ideas, so I was incredibly honored that she was willing to work with us on this record. She was very precise with the engineering of the album, and I think she was able to help us create the best sounding recordings we have ever done. It is a really cool and rare thing when someone else can understand your vision and creative process and help you to achieve it the best that you can.”
By spending more time on this album than past efforts, the band, who prides themselves on fewer overdubs and catching performances in a more natural setting, was able to capture the “big” sound that their live shows are known for.
To add complication to The Wild, its members live all across the country (Atlanta, Lexington, Denver, Brooklyn, San Francisco, and Massachusetts). A few years ago, when vocalist Dianna Settles got a scholarship to a San Francisco college, The Wild became more of a “touring” band. She explains, “For the first couple years that we were a band, we were playing shows in Atlanta almost once a week. After a while, the most shows we played were while we were on tour. While it’s sort of a bummer sometimes to see some great shows happening out in Atlanta that we can’t play because of the distance, I think we’ve navigated being spread out pretty well.”
Dreams Are Maps is currently available from Asian Man Records. Check them out on tour in the U.S. this summer, or this fall at The Fest 12 in Gainesville, Florida.
- HOMETOWN: Atlanta, GA
- GENRE: Folk/Punk
- ARTISTIC APPROACH: Punk influenced folk recorded au naturel.
- URL: www.thewildatl.com