Following the release of their debut album Growth, Wildernesses are already finding themselves at the heart of the UK’s alternative/ post rock music scene. From their first ArcTanGent appearance to a forthcoming run of dates with Din of Celestial Birds, the band are taking everything in their stride. We caught up with Sam and Phil to talk storytelling, mental health, the unexpected challenges behind their debut record, and why sometimes the best way forward is simply to take things day by day.

For Wildernesses, their first appearance at ArcTanGent was an experience that was difficult to put into words. The festival represents a significant milestone for any emerging band operating in the world of progressive, experimental and alternative music, but the scale of the response they received seemed to catch them genuinely off guard. “Pretty mad, a bit overwhelming,” Sam admits when asked about the experience. “The love was insane, everyone’s been amazing, I’m actually speechless. I know it’s not the answer you’re after, but I’m genuinely speechless.” It’s a sentiment that Phil shares, explaining “I don’t think I’ve processed it yet cos there’s so much build up to an awesome festival like this and I don’t think I’ve fully settled with it yet, but it was an incredible experience. The whole tech team just make you feel calm, it was really wholesome.” There was a genuine sense that the festival had far exceeded their expectations, not simply because of the opportunity to play, but because of the warmth they encountered throughout the weekend. “There was a whole lot of love in that tent,” they say, before laughing about the lack of any major disasters. There were “no big hiccups and no clangers to report“, something that becomes particularly significant when Sam explains just how low their expectations had initially been. “I said to the guys, if there were more than 20 people I’d be genuinely happy.” Instead, the band were met with a crowd large enough to leave them overwhelmed, it was absolutely heaving and spilling iut the sides of the tent which is incredible particularly given how quickly Wildernesses have grown since the release of their debut album. “There were some of the guys from the scene that show us love and support, but seeing that crowd, I was overwhelmed. It took me about a song to settle in.” For frontman Phil, it took even longer to feel completely comfortable on stage. “I was the opposite, it took me quite a few songs to settle in. Interestingly, I don’t usually really enjoy playing the last song, but I had really settled down by that point and I felt embedded at that point, thinking we’re near the end and it’s gone smoothly.”

While wildernesses music can be expansive, atmospheric and, at times, beautiful, the lyrics are often considerably darker, dealing with themes that are rooted in the more difficult and complicated aspects of being human. “A lot of the songs we write, we write the music first and then I’ll go aay and think about it” explains Phil. “Sometimes those ideas have existed for years before finding their place within the band, I remember there was a poem I wrote about 15 years ago that I liked the concept of and then fully adapted it to the track.” There has also been a conscious decision to become more direct with the lyrical content rather than hiding behind deliberately cryptic writing. Wildernesses began when Phil was 36 and, having recently turned 40, there is a sense that age and experience have made it easier to say exactly what he wants to say. “It’s kind of felt easier to talk about what I wanna talk about, it’s quite a cathartic exercise.” That honesty is central to the identity of the project, but it’s the contrast between those brutally bleak themes and the beauty of the music that fascinates them most. “I like kinda like the idea of combining really morose, sad and bleak themes but beautiful at the same time.” It’s an idea that comes from an understanding that happiness and sadness rarely exist independently. “Some days I can be depressed and feel like everything is terrible and other days you feel amazing. You might have an incredible 10 years of life and then your partner might die, those 10 years are maybe then even more beautiful because of everything that happened.” That duality of human experience has become one of the defining ideas behind Wildernesses, and it’s particularly interesting given that Phil works as a mental health social worker. “The music is really pretty and the lyrics are mega mega bleak,” comparing the approach to The Cures Disintegration, a band who have long demonstrated how devastating subject matter can coexist with music that is deeply melodic and compelling. “I just like the game of doing that and what the music triggers and would I understand what this is about if I read the lyrics?”

The story behind the making of Growth is almost as complicated as the stories contained within the album itself. The band were forced to navigate a major line-up change during the recording process when the guitarist who had originally brought the group together decided to leave after struggling with his mental health. “We did four tracks with Jonathan and thought about doing an EP but discussed it with Joe from Pijn and decided to do a record.” The decision to turn those early recordings into a full-length album meant that the band suddenly had to deal with a major practical problem, their guitarist was no longer going to be there to complete the record. “We played like five or six shows and it was stressing him out, so he decided to leave, so I had to record all the guitars as Sam wasn’t up to speed with us yet”. “Sam’s a phenomenal guitarist, but he loves metal,” Phil explains. “So yeah, trying to tone it down a bit, that was tough for me.” Sam explains “Yeah, I came at it as a fan and learned very quickly that stripping things back is a lot harder to do.” The adjustment period is still ongoing, particularly when it comes to writing, but the band feel that they are beginning to find their stride. “It took some time to settle with each other and we’re just getting there now in terms of writing.” Importantly, the process hasn’t stopped with the debut album. Wildernesses have already begun working on new material and are planning to hit the studio to record a couple of singles later this year.

Their next adventure will see them heading out on the road with Din of Celestial Birds, an opportunity that came together in a way that perfectly reflects the unpredictable nature of being a new band. The Wildernesses members admit that after their first tour they weren’t entirely sure how audiences would respond to them, despite having played some genuinely encouraging shows. “Totally unexpected,” they say when discussing the upcoming tour. “We had our first tour and played some great shows, but we weren’t sure if people would like it or not.” The connection was eventually made through AKARI Festival, the event organised by fellow post rock comrades Civil Service, where Wildernesses crossed paths with members of the Din of Celestial Birds camp. After playing the Manchester show the invitation came to join them for a run of dates in October. “He asked if we’d be up for doing a tour with them in October and we were like, yeah, 100%.” What makes the experience particularly appealing is the level of support they have received from the headliners, as well as the fact that Wildernesses haven’t had to shoulder all of the organisational work themselves. “They had a whole album planned out and it’s been a lovely experience cos we haven’t had to do any of the booking and they’ve been really supportive of us.” Sam explains “Being a musician, you always question yourself, asking are we good enough? Will people like it?” “Playing at ArcTanGent is something we always want to do and to do it within six or seven months of releasing an album is so weird.” More than anything, they have discovered a community in which bands seem genuinely willing to help one another. “There’s a more mature approach, meeting other bands and helping each other out, and you come at it with more mature eyes rather than in your teens or mid-twenties.” 

For all the excitement surrounding Wildernesses at the moment, their experiences on the road have also given them a useful perspective on what can actually go wrong when you’re playing in a band. We asked if they had any tour disasters to share and Sam immediately has a story  “I have the best story. Me and Mark, our bassist, used to play in a band and we supported a French band in Weymouth and everything that could go wrong went wrong. Dominio Effect amps after the guitarist tripped, spinning guitars got stuck in the plasterboard ceiling covering the drummer from Chalk Hands, and we blew up the bass amp on the band’s first day of tour. “So if we have a terrible show, I always think it can’t be as bad as that.” 

Go see Wildernesses on tour with Din Of Celestial Birds.

10th Oct – London – Strongroom Bar – with Telepathy and Flail

11th Oct – Bristol – Jam Jar (matinee show) – with Wildernesses – Band and The Earth and Me

23rd Oct – Leeds – Boom – with Wildernesses – Band and TBA

24th Oct – Cambridge – MASH – with Wildernesses – Band and NOCIVA PROJECT

25th Oct – Manchester – The Yard – with Wildernesses – Band and Swamped – UK

22nd Nov – Glasgow – Nice N Sleazy (matinee show) – with Wildernesses – Band and The Rhubarb

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