The Wilde are a five-piece from Leeds, and they’ve just released their stunning new debut EP, ‘Young Libertine’. It’s ridiculously catchy pop rock, and if Kids In Glass Houses left a hole in your life when they split up, The Wilde might just be the ones to fill it. We had a chat with the guys to find out their background, how they’re feeling about the EP release, and what the future holds for them.
Firstly, tell us about your background. How, when and where did you form?
We’ve all been friends for years now. We’re all from the same area near Leeds so it was a no brainer to start a band together when the right time came around. We’ve all been involved in different bands, but when we got together we had a really clear idea of what we all wanted The Wilde to be. We recorded then started playing shows in summer 2013 and we’ve just gone from there!
You’re just released your debut EP, ‘Young Libertine’ (it’s bloody great). How are you feeling about it? And how would you describe it to someone who hasn’t heard it yet?
Thanks! Yeah, I’m excited to be releasing the EP. It feels like we’ve been sitting on it and waiting to get it out there for ages. The feedback and response we’ve had has been overwhelming. We’ve been reading the reviews so far and we couldn’t be happier with the first impression it’s made! To people who haven’t heard it, I’d say “Go listen to it!” Alex Baker described us on K! Radio as a ‘Pop, Groove, Rock, juggernaut’ so that gives you an idea?! Basically we’re a hooky pop rock band with big riffs and loads of energy.
How would you describe your sound overall? Who would you say are your main influences?
There’s lots of influences you can hear on ‘Young Libertine’ from the UK and from the US. One thing we really wanted to capture though is the energy we have live and I think we’ve achieved that. There is a big feel-good vibe on the EP and that’s no accident. We never had any intention of being a depressing rock band you’ve seen before. We’re developing as songwriters all the time and we hope that honesty comes across well. We aren’t trying to be something we’re not.
As a band we all have a collective vision, we know what we want to sound like. We’ve spent a lot of time in Glasgow recording the EP with our producer Bruce Rintoul so he had a big influence on the record too. There’s loads going on in Scottish rock at the moment and that’s had an impact on our sound over the last couple of years. We’ve got quite a few friends there now and the scene is infectious, it’s exciting and it’s definitely found a way onto the feeling of the record.
You’re touring later this month. What can we expect from the shows?
If you’re coming down to a show then be ready to get involved! Expect loads of energy, singalongs and big guitar riffs. We want to give everyone a show to remember and be a part of what’s going on. I hope it can be an escape for some people, to feel part of something unique and growing with momentum. That’s what it’s all about for me. Plus our bassist Jack falls over all the time and that’s not to be missed. I’d love to drop a world exclusive and tell you Drake is featuring with us on tour but that’d be a complete lie and I’m not sure the other boys would go for it!
You’ve already played with some pretty cool bands. What has been your touring highlight so far? Any funny stories?
When you share the stage with bigger bands it’s great because you’ve got an opportunity to learn from them. You’d be stupid not to. We’re starting to have more of these opportunities so it’s good for us to progress and become the best live band that we can be.
Funny stories? Yeah! One time we went on stage to start our set, broke into our first song playing full on, raging around, jumping up and down, pulling out all the stops to make a good first impression on the audience. Next thing we know we’ve played through the whole first track and the sound tech’s voice comes over the venue speakers to tell us that was our sound check and we weren’t on for another 20 minutes. We were pretty mortified, but looking back you’ve got to see the funny side. People in the crowd must’ve been thinking, “F**king hell! What are they gonna be like when they come on and REALLY start playing?”
What are your plans after the EP release? What have you got coming up in 2015?
After the EP goes out we’re doing a UK tour starting 24th November and we’re playing in Leeds, Glasgow, London (yes, that’s a long drive), Cardiff, Birmingham, Manchester and Newcastle Under Lyme. All our future plans are still being confirmed but obviously we’re always working on new music, laying down the beginnings of whatever’s next. Ideally we’ll be on the road a lot in 2015 and we’ll make loads of new friends. We’ve met some friends for life so far and we plan on meeting some more. We want to keep building on what The Wilde is, keep our songs on the radio waves and have a good time!
What would you most like to achieve with the band in the long run?
We want to establish ourselves as big players in rock and do things other bands haven’t. We want to keep developing our sound and be regarded as a top live band. With each release we want to keep challenging ourselves to get better, otherwise what’s the fucking point?!
LAIS MW