There are a lot of great bands in Naples, but until I volunteered for the Bonita BrewFest, I had never heard of Wilder Sons. They are performing at the beer festival later today, and I used that as an excuse to reach out to them for an interview. I started learning more about the group, and really liked what I heard. I enjoy their lyrics and they have produced some great videos. When I lived in Indianapolis, I went to Birdy’s Bar & Grill a lot. This sounds like a band that I would see in that room. I can see these guys on tour playing with some big names, too. They are polished and I am glad I found them. Looking forward to seeing them perform today at the Bonita BrewFest. It is my pleasure to introduce you to Wilder Sons.
I’ve seen it listed as Wildersons and Wilder Sons. Which is it? This is driving me nuts!
(Laughs.) No need to stress. What you saw was a recent experiment with stylizing the band name differently. It was originally and will probably continue to be Wilder Sons.
You guys are performing during the 2018 Bonita BrewFest later today! That is one of the best beer festivals in SW Florida. You guys excited for that show? What can fans expect from your performance?
Stoked! We had the pleasure of performing last year and it was a total blast. Fans can expect to get rowdy with us once again and they’ll be excited to hear brand spankin’ new songs that we’re currently recording in the studio as I type this.
The music scene in Naples/Bonita Springs isn’t great. Where do you guys play and what sort of crowds do you typically see?
Honestly, we believe the scene is not as bad as some think. Yes, it’s no Nashville or Austin, but I think there’s a plethora of up and coming talent here. Yes, there’s an issue with the lack of solid music clubs to perform at. We typically get around it by hosting shows at Whiskey Park or even at breweries around town. We bring the show to them by providing all they need: staging, lights and great sound gear. Our draw in the area has been steadily growing. We hit capacity at our last hometown show which was a holiday themed event we put on called “A Not So Silent Night” at Whiskey Park.
Tell me about your relationship with Rolling Artists.
Ross Robey, our manager extraordinaire, is managing partner and founder of Rolling Artists. They have a roster of incredibly talented producers, engineers, and songwriters you should check out.
I’ve always been a fan of songwriting. I couldn’t write a song to save my life, but still! Who does all your songwriting and where do you find inspiration for a new release.
Funny you say that. Writing a song can take 15 minutes or 15 days or 15 years… I think you got a shot still! We all take part in writing. Ideas sometimes spawn at rehearsal while we jam together. Sometimes Jake or I come up with a little riff, perhaps a verse or chorus idea that we build off of. Every song we’ve written has it own unique story about how it came to be. We draw inspiration from everything we experience around us really.
What is “A Not So Silent Night?”
“A Not So Silent Night” was a holiday event we hosted a few months ago in our hometown at one of our favorite spots, Whiskey Park. We’re planning on making it an annual thing.
There are a lot of great bands out there. Who are some of your biggest influences and who are you listening to when not practicing/playing?
Our music taste vary between the four us. We listen to anything from old school hip hop to pop punk to hardcore to classical. We appreciate all genres of music.
You guys did a collaboration with Momentum Brewhouse. Brian is great! What sort of beer did you brew, and what did you think of the finished product?
Brian and the whole Momentum Brewhouse crew are the best! We’re big fans of Momentum and they like our music, so we thought it would be cool to brew a beer together. We decided on brewing a Belgian style Tripel (my favorite kind of beer) which we named “Scatterbrain” after the title of our 2nd EP.
What is the best concert you’ve ever seen?
I can’t answer for the rest of the guys, but I would say Circa Survive a few years back at Revolution Live was one of the best shows I’ve seen in recent memory.
Speaking of Momentum, you guys performed during their anniversary party. I was there and had no idea who you were… Glad I found you! How was that show? The place was packed all night!
Playing at Momentum is always a blast. We held our Scatterbrain EP release show there last year during their 2nd Anniversary event and it was insane!
From Facebook and Twitter to Instagram and YouTube, you have it covered. Who manages all of your social media?
We all chime in here and there on our social media accounts.
What’s next for Wilder Sons?
We just finished tracking our 3rd record at Earthsound Recording in GA with our producer, Will Kubley. We’re extremely excited with the way it turned out! We should be releasing the first single in a couple of months. A few other surprises in the works, but it’s all hush hush for now.
Thank you guys for doing this. In all of the interviews I do, I always give the artist the last word. Go.
Thanks for having us, dude! If you’ve been following the band for awhile, thanks for your continued support. If this is the first time you’re hearing about WS, then welcome aboard and K.I.T. everyone!
Connect with Wilder Sons:
Website: http://www.wildersonsband.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wildersonsband/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WILDERSONSBAND
