Today, acclaimed Austin-based ensemble Wild Child shared their new album End of the World, via Reba’s Ranch Records, their new self-run label exclusively distributed by Secretly Distribution. The band’s fifth full length album, their first since 2018’s Expectations, finds Wild Child delving deeper into the contemplative edge which has long colored their songs, while expanding intimate, folky songs into lush, full band arrangements, as heard on singles “Cheap Champagne,” “End of the Word,” “Wearing Blue,” “Photographs” and album standout “Dear John.”
Building from quiet acoustic instrumentation to a massive full band swell of distorted bass, reversed guitars, and strings, “Dear John” is anchored by lead singer Kelsey Wilson’s confident yet vulnerable croon. The orchestration’s progression mirrors that of the track’s story, as the song’s narrator finds the confidence within herself to stand firm against the advances of an old flame. The result is a slick yet cathartic baroque indie cut, with one of the band’s most infectious choruses to date.
End of the World: Listen / Share
End of the World was born out of a distance between the band’s core songwriters as they headed in different sonic directions. Wilson joined the singer-songwriter super group, Glorietta, and debuted her genre-bending, Motown/Neo-Soul-influenced solo project, Sir Woman, while the other half of the band’s songwriting duo, Alexander Beggins, unveiled his musical alter-ego, CoCo Zandi. By then, the two didn't know if they would ever make another Wild Child record. However, once pandemic lockdowns closed stages and drained bank accounts, the two knew they had to act. Lockdown brought about virtual shows and songwriting sessions while adding new vitality to the group.
"It felt like our very first record, when the two of us wrote a bunch of songs while on tour for someone else. There wasn't any aim to do anything with those songs at the beginning. For the first time since then, that's how we started writing these songs. We didn't know if we would make another record. It just came together," Beggins says. Sometimes, the “End of the World” is only the beginning.
Beginning next month, the band will be embarking on a US tour with Próxima Parada. This will mark Wild Child’s first post-Covid tour featuring the full band, including its newest member, John Calvin Abney. Abney joins Wild Child as the first songwriter to collaborate with the duo on an album. Tickets are on sale now here. In August, the band will make its way to San Francisco for an appearance at this year’s Outside Lands festival alongside artists like Kendrick Lamar, Foo Fighters, Lana Del Rey, The 1975, Maggie Rogers, and many more.
Wild Child is known for spreading its infectious blend of indie-pop and ear-worm melodies across the international music scene, charting viral hits to the tune of over 1.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify and over 100 million streams to date. The band first formed in 2010 when the group's core duo of Wilson and Beggins wrote and released their first album, Pillow Talk (2011). Since then they’ve released three additional albums, The Runaround (2013), Fools (2015), and Expectations (2018). Along the way, Wild Child has become a live act that’s not to be missed, as seen during their episode of Austin City Limits, which has earned the band a diverse and dedicated fan base.
About Reba’s Ranch Records:
The Wild Child family is excited to announce the birth of Reba’s Ranch Records, a long-time vision of creating their own record label imprint to highlight some of the amazing music coming out of Austin, TX. The label was born after years of conversations within the band about the importance of controlling one’s own destiny and art. The imprint will be home to the Wild Child catalog, Kelsey’s Sir Woman and Alexander's CoCo Zandi recordings.
Wild Child Live Dates:
April 13 Boston, MA @ The Sinclair
April 14 New York, NY @ Racket
April 15 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
April 16 Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
April 18 Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle
April 19 Atlanta, GA @ Vinyl
April 20 Nashville, TN @ Blue Room @ Thurman
April 22 Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
April 23 Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
May 5 Austin, TX @ Emo’s
May 6 Fort Worth, TX @ Tulips FTW
May 9 Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf
May 11 Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theatre
May 12 Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theatre
May 13 Fort Collins, CO @ The Aggie Theatre
May 14 Aspen, CO @ Belly Up Aspen
May 16 Boise, ID @ The Olympic
May 18 Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
May 19 Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
May 20 Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
May 21 Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall
Aug 11-13 San Francisco, CA @ Outside Lands Festival
