Peep This: New Video For “Swells” from Virginia-based Folk/Rock Outfit Wylder

March 10, 2016 Brian Carroll

There is something I have to say that on certain days I really love about the whole “romping, percussive based folk-roots revolution”. Its not an every day thing for me and I think bands like Mumford & Sons have beat that horse to death…twice even, but every so often a band comes around with that sound, that moving and “happy sounding even though the song content may be sad” vibe. The Virginia/DC based folk rock outfit Wylder is in that latter camp and I find myself more and more appreciating the more “pop” oriented end of the folk music spectrum when bands like this cross my path.

The band blends roots music instrumentation with mandolin and fiddle with that emotional driven The Shins meets Death Cab for Cutie vocalization that kind of just works in a way. This latest track and video has soaring fiddle lines that rival any seasoned vet, the band is tight, and lead singer Will McCarry has an undeniable talent for singing with his voice being at the forefront of the track.

I always try and get into a band or artists head and imagine why they chose certain aspects of their music video. The one for the bands latest single “Swells” is pretty clear cut about a relationship on multiple levels and the way that our passion can interrupt with those personal relationships is something I think all artists can relate to…

From the band: Embracing the best elements of both indie-pop and folk, Fredericksburg, VA’s Wylder produces a tapestry in which every hook and melody is interdependent. With instrumentals driven by acoustic guitar, piano, and mandolin, Wylder instills clever violin lines and lush harmonies that resonate behind clear and memorable melodies, similar to artists such as Death Cab For Cutie, Andrew McMahon, and The Shins.

Telling the story of a budding relationship gone awry and being thrown off the rails through constant interruption by members of the band, the video is a great representation of the struggle of balancing being in a band and having a significant other. The video ends when the significant other’s breaking point is hit and a picnic erupts in a spaghetti melee.

The track itself uses the bright and shiny sounds of ukulele, shouting choruses, and infectious melodies to make a folk-rock romp along the lines of Good Old War, The Avett Brothers, and Blind Pilot.