If you miss the good and old corny indie rock, perfect for the soundtrack of a coming of age film, Wallows is the type of band for you.
It was with the single Pleaser, released in 2017, that the band introduced themselves to the world. The Los Angeles group is formed by Dylan Minnette (singer and guitar), Braeden Lemasters (singer and rhythm guitar) and Cole Preston (drums).
With several different band names, they performed in the underground scene of their city since 2010; until 2017, when they started looking more professional and decided the name of the group. After Pleaser, the trio released three more songs independently: Sun Tan, Uncomfortable and Pulling Leaves Off Trees.
Under Atlantic Records’ label, they released their ‘Spring’ EP in April 2018, establishing the path they’ve been following to the music industry. The musical maturity comes with the album ‘Nothing Happens’ released in March of the following year.
- Wallows’ Style
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Their most successful song Are you bored yet?, track 4 on the album, is a partnership with the indie singer Clairo. The song enchanted the public, and with a little help from TikTok, gave the band a bigger audience. The AYBY? video clip is set in a karaoke club and introduces the indie vibe the band has.
Wallows also have pop hits, as in their single Scrawny, track 5 on Nothing Happens.
Musically, the trio has clear influences from the post punk of the 80’s, and mainly from bands like The Smiths and The Cure. The alternation of the lead singer -sometimes with Minnette, sometimes with Lemasters -is also a very positive point. This way, they are able to take advantage of different tones and notes, giving a better result in each song.
Wallows’ music conveys messages about growing up and losing your innocence, feeling nostalgic and being scared about the future. They consolidate it with mature narratives and melodies talking about relationships and producing an honest portrait of all the feelings that come along with getting older. Emanates creativity, sometimes punchy and other times relaxing songs. It’s not only catchy but also filled with melancholy.
- From Childhood To Life
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Even though the band was formed when they were 14, they have known each other longer than that. Minnette and Lemasters have been friends since the age of 9; both were moving to Los Angeles to invest in their acting career and their mothers met through a group. Dylan and Braeden met Preston a few later. Cole introduced them to indie rock songs.
- Why Naming The Band Wallows?
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Before Wallows, the band had other names such as The Narwhals and The Feaver. But, it was from the classic skateboard video game ‘Tony Hawk’s Underground‘ that the trio took the idea for the band’s name. In this game, there’s a level that you can skate in called Wallows. It is also a real place in Hawaii where you can skate.
The band was looking for an alternative name that could express the way they did music. Other names were also discussed, like Hidden Couch and The Visors.
- A New Era
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During the live on September 9th, the band announced the release of the new EP ‘Remote’, planned for October 23rd. It will feature six unreleased tracks: Virtual Aerobics, Dig What You Dug, Coastlines, Talk Like That and Wish Me Luck.
Also, the video clip of the song Nobody Gets Me (Like You), one of Remote’s tracks, is already available, and based on its aesthetics we can expect some changes in the band’s style. The clip is clearly influenced by the Retrowave genre, as we observe the manifestation of saturated VHS colors, pixelated visuals, neon-bathed spaces, strong content of the classic 80’s in an exaggerated and appealing way, and some common aspects of video games.
Now that you know everything about Wallows, how about a musical suggestion? It’s Only Right, Treacherous Doctor, Just Like a Movie, OK and Drunk on Halloween, are some suggestions, but you can browse through their entire discography on Spotify or any streaming platform you like. Happy Wallows discovery!
The article above was edited by Laura Enchioglo.
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