A four-piece indie-rock outfit built on a diverse blend of musical tastes. A long history of expertise and a music degree to back it all. And the drive to go for the big goalposts while still staying true to themselves. The end result? Wild Front, a Southampton-based indie-group loved and known for its dreamy blend of sleek, ambient pop with ‘80s inspired heavier rock. Since their formation in 2015, the band has continued on an upward trajectory and is already preparing to make 2021 their year.
“I met the guys at Tottenham College, but they had always been friends, had grown up together. And I was already working on this folky solo project, which then grew into a band once we became friends,”, remembers Jack Williams, the frontman of the talented bunch. Originally formed under the name “Tracy Island”, it wasn’t long before Wild Front switched to their current set-up, under which they have been racking up awe-inspiring achievements ever since. With a string of impressive festival slots already under their belts, the group, just like everyone in the music industry, had to put their touring plans on halt, which didn’t stop them from blessing their dedicated fans’ ears with not one but two new EPs – one original titled ‘The Great Indoors’ and one cover record. Looking at the title of their 2020 release, one might be quick to file it as another quarantine affectionate piece, when in reality the story behind the title stems from somewhere completely different. “The EP isn’t inspired by lockdown at all. We released it during the pandemic, but it was written and finished way before that. The title is a nod to mental health, being stuck in your own mind and depression. It was never meant as a pun on being stuck inside because of lockdown, but everyone thought it was. So we were all like ‘oh fuck, people will think we hopped on the lockdown bandwagon really fast’, which wasn’t at all what happened,”, laughs singer Williams, while thinking back to the release which once again saw the band pair the unrestrained emotions of music with the capricious nature of life. Almost cinematic in places, the melodic feel-good record sparkled as the perfect addition to everyone’s soundtrack to the dazzling, airy weeks of the summer sunshine.
Despite the band’s remarkable success, they have always stayed close to their roots – writing, recording, engineering and mixing all of their music at their home studio and even building the sets for their cover shoots themselves. Essentially, it is that sense of pride the guys put into their DIY-led projects that gives their music its unique sound and turns it into this exquisite marriage of fierce, energy-driven guitars paired with astounding melodies and addictive, irresistible choruses. And it works. Looking at the new year and the upcoming months, the foursome has already got a few tricks up their sleeves, which might even be album-shaped after the band’s long run of EPs: “Before, we have never written a body that has felt like an album. But I think we are getting closer to something feeling like that. We just don’t want to put it out for the sake of it. We want it to be something that we are proud of.” As vague as that sounds, one can be sure that 2021 will not be short of yet another enchanting Wild Front release to dream to. And while the group’s ascent may not have been an overnight one, they are definitely one of the top-tier bands to keep an eye on right now. It won’t be long before they’re everywhere.
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Written by: Laura Weingrill // Pictures by: Katie Betteridge
GEM Magazine 