The world according to Wednesday, your new favorite alt-country indie rock band
NEW YORK (AP) — A pit bull puppy peeing off a balcony. Mounted antlers in the kitchen on a crooked nail. Pink boiled eggs stay afloat in the brine. For its dedicated audience, the North Carolina alt-country-meets-indie rock band Wednesday is an exemplar in evocative songwriting, where whole worlds are found in short lyrical lines.
And that says nothing of what they sound like. The most exciting band in contemporary indie rock is informed by Drive-By Truckers and Pavement in equal measure, a distinctive sonic fabric of lap steel, guitar fuzz, folksy and jagged vocals.
On Sept. 19, they will release their sixth and most ambitious full-length, 'Bleeds.'
'My songwriting is just better on this album,' Wednesday's singer and songwriter Karly Hartzman explains. 'Things are said more succinctly ... the immediacy of these songs was the main growth.'
Wednesday began as Hartzman's solo project, evidenced in 2018's sweet-sounding 'yep definitely.' They became a full band on 2020's 'I Was Trying to Describe You to Someone,' a dive into guitar distortions, and 2021's 'Twin Plagues,' a further refinement of their 'creek rock' sound. The lineup consists of Hartzman, bassist Ethan Baechtold, lap steel player Xandy Chelmis, guitarist Jake Lenderman and drummer Alan Miller. Some also tour with Lenderman's solo project, MJ Lenderman. (Hartzman and Lenderman previously dated.)
Wednesday's last album, the narrative 'Rat Saw God,' was named one of the best albums of 2023 by The Associated Press partially for its uncanny ability to dive into the particularities and complications of Southern identity. 'Bleeds' sharpens those tools.
On 'Bleeds,' a band evolves
'Originally, I was going to call it 'Carolina Girl' but my bandmates did not like that,'' Hartzman jokes.
'Bleeds' comes from the explosive opening track, 'Reality TV Argument Bleeds.'
She likes how the band name and album title sound together — ''Wednesday Bleeds,' which I feel like I do, when I play music ... I'm almost, in a way, bloodletting and exorcising a demon.'
Lyrically, 'Bleeds' features some of Wednesday's best work — even in the revisiting of an older song, 'Phish Pepsi,' that hilariously references both the jam band and the most disturbing movie released in 2010 — a kind of specificity born from Hartzman's writing practices. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she and Lenderman 'wrote 20 lines of writing each day,' a practice adopted from Silver Jews' David Berman. She's also a documentarian of memory: She takes notes of things her friends say and images that are affecting, to later collage them together in songs.
'The well never runs dry,' Hartzman says. 'Because I've admitted not everything can come from inside. I need to look outward outside of myself for inspiration.'
Remembering, she says, 'is the goal for most of the (expletive) I do. ... I care. I want stories to persist.'
Storytelling through song
'Bleeds' manages cohesion across a variance of sound. 'Wasp' is hard-core catharsis; lead single 'Elderberry Wine' drops guitar noise for shimmery, fermented country. 'Wound Up Here (By Holding On),' which references the Appalachian poet Evan Gray, is a pretty indie rock track about a hometown hero who drowns.
The quietest moment on the album, the plucked 'The Way Love Goes,' was written as 'a love song for Jake when we were still together. 'Elderberry Wine' as well.'' Hartzman explains. ''Elderberry Wine' is kind of talking about me noticing slight changes in a relationship.'
These are not breakup songs; they exist right before the point of dissolution. 'Sweet song is a long con / I drove ya to the airport with the E-brake on,' she sings on the latter.
Later: 'Sometimes in my head I give up and / Flip the board completely.'
'I'm understanding how sound creates emotion. That's what I'm learning over time,' Hartzman says of her musical growth. 'I'm also listening to more music with every year that passes. So, my understanding of what's possible, or what I can be inspired by, shifts.'
A number of the songs pull from childhood memory, as they always have across Wednesday's discography. 'I think about growing up a lot,' she says. 'When I think of trying to tell ... a story that's vivid and intense, that's just the easiest time in my life, where everything felt vivid and intense.'
Longtime fans of the band will find recurring themes and characters from past songs. For example, 'Gary's' from their 2021 album returns as the 'Bleeds' closer in 'Gary's II,' where he gets into a bar fight.
'In a way, I'm writing the same songs over and over, but I'm just trying to make them better,' she says.
There is always more humanity to excavate. And often, those emotions, 'they aren't done with you,' she adds. 'They're not letting you go.'
___
A previous version of this story incorrectly listed Margo Schulz as Wednesday's bassist. Ethan Baechtold is the current bassist. Schulz parted ways with the group before the release of the 2023 album 'Rat Saw God.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
36 minutes ago
- The Hill
South Korea's last circus, Dongchoon, holds up as it marks centennial
ANSAN, South Korea (AP) — No more elephant and monkey acts. No more death-defying motorbike stunts. No more singing or acting on stage. Several hundred spectators still clapped constantly when acrobats with Dongchoon Circus Troupe, South Korea's last and 100-year-old circus, twirled on a long suspended fabric, juggled clubs on a large, rotating wheel and rode a unicycle on a tightrope under the big top. 'As I recall the hardship that I've gone through, I think I've done something significant,' Park Sae-hwan, the head of the circus, said in a recent Associated Press interview. 'But I also feel heavy responsibility because if Dongchoon stops, our country's circus, one genre in our performing arts, will disappear. That's the problem.' Founded in 1925, Dongchoon is Korea's oldest circus. In the golden ages of South Korean circuses in the 1960s when most households still had no TVs, Dongchoon travelled across the country, wowing audiences with then exotic animals like an elephant and a giraffe and a variety of shows including skits, comic talks, singing, dancing and magic shows. At its peak years, it had more than 200 artists, acrobats and other staff, according to Park. Like in many other countries, TVs and movies later syphoned off the audiences of Dongchoon and other circuses in South Korea. Their actors, singers and comedians moved to TV stations, and some became bigger stars. The advent of the internet, video games and professional sports were another blow. South Korean circuses also dropped animal shows that faced protests by animal rights campaigners. Now, Dongchoon is the only circus in South Korea after all its rivals went out of business. Park, who joined Dongchoon in 1963, served as a show host and sometimes sang and acted in the circus's drama programs. He left the circus in 1973 and ran a lucrative supermarket business. In 1978, he returned to the circus industry by taking over Dongchoon, which was put up for sale after devastating typhoon damage. Park, now 80, said he worried Dongchoon could disappear into history after seeing newspaper reports that its assets would be split into parts and sold. 'I thought Dongchoon must not disappear. When we want to study the roots of our country's dramas, we should look back on the traces of Dongchoon. The same goes for the history of our other shows, traditional music performances and magic shows as well as circuses themselves,' Park said. Heo Jeong Joo, an expert at the All That Heritage Research Institute, also values highly the legacy of Dongchoon, which she said incorporated many traditional performers and artists who operated before its 1925 founding. 'Its foundation exceeds 100 years. In a historical perspective, I think it should be designated as an intangible cultural asset,' Heo said. Park said he almost closed the circus in 2009 after his shows drew only 10-20 spectators each for several months during a widespread flu outbreak. It survived after local media reports sympathizing with the plight of Dongchoon prompted many people to flock and fully pack shows for weeks, he said. Since 2011, Dongchoon has been performing at a big top at a seaside tourist area in Ansan, just south of Seoul. Its circus workers also frequently travel to other areas for temporary shows. Dongchoon officials said their business is doing relatively well, drawing several hundred spectators on weekdays and up to 2,000 on weekends at Ansan alone. Ansan official Sharon Ham said local tourism has been boosted by Dongchoon's presence. She said Dongchoon shows are popular with both older generations wanting to recall childhood memories of circuses and younger generations seeking something new. 'It was a very impressive and meaningful circus,' Sim Chung-yong, a 61-year-old spectator, said after one show last week. 'But I also thought about how much big pains and hardships those circus acrobats underwent to perform like this.' Dongchoon officials say they now offer only acrobatic performances and refrain from too-risky acts because many people don't like them any longer. Its all 35 acrobats are now Chinese, as a circus job is generally shunned by more affluent South Koreans who consider it too dangerous and low-paying. Park said he bought land at Ansan where he hopes to build a circus school to nurture South Korean circus artists. Xing Jiangtao, 37, has been working for Dongchoon since 2002 — initially as an acrobat and now as its performance director. He recalled that when he first came to South Korea, he and his Chinese colleagues all worked as assistants to Dongchoon's 50 South Korean acrobats but they've all left one by one. 'Now, it's the only circus in South Korea, and I hope we will create good circus performances to show to spectators so that we can help Dongchoon exist for another 100 years,' Xing said in fluent Korean.
Hamilton Spectator
2 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
South Korea's last circus, Dongchoon, holds up as it marks centennial
ANSAN, South Korea (AP) — No more elephant and monkey acts. No more death-defying motorbike stunts. No more singing or acting on stage. Several hundred spectators still clapped constantly when acrobats with Dongchoon Circus Troupe, South Korea's last and 100-year-old circus, twirled on a long suspended fabric, juggled clubs on a large, rotating wheel and rode a unicycle on a tightrope under the big top. 'As I recall the hardship that I've gone through, I think I've done something significant,' Park Sae-hwan, the head of the circus, said in a recent Associated Press interview. 'But I also feel heavy responsibility because if Dongchoon stops, our country's circus, one genre in our performing arts, will disappear. That's the problem.' The golden age of circuses Founded in 1925, Dongchoon is Korea's oldest circus. In the golden ages of South Korean circuses in the 1960s when most households still had no TVs, Dongchoon travelled across the country, wowing audiences with then exotic animals like an elephant and a giraffe and a variety of shows including skits, comic talks, singing, dancing and magic shows. At its peak years, it had more than 200 artists, acrobats and other staff, according to Park. Like in many other countries, TVs and movies later syphoned off the audiences of Dongchoon and other circuses in South Korea. Their actors, singers and comedians moved to TV stations, and some became bigger stars. The advent of the internet, video games and professional sports were another blow. South Korean circuses also dropped animal shows that faced protests by animal rights campaigners. Now, Dongchoon is the only circus in South Korea after all its rivals went out of business. How Dongchoon survives Park, who joined Dongchoon in 1963, served as a show host and sometimes sang and acted in the circus's drama programs. He left the circus in 1973 and ran a lucrative supermarket business. In 1978, he returned to the circus industry by taking over Dongchoon, which was put up for sale after devastating typhoon damage. Park, now 80, said he worried Dongchoon could disappear into history after seeing newspaper reports that its assets would be split into parts and sold. 'I thought Dongchoon must not disappear. When we want to study the roots of our country's dramas, we should look back on the traces of Dongchoon. The same goes for the history of our other shows, traditional music performances and magic shows as well as circuses themselves,' Park said. Heo Jeong Joo, an expert at the All That Heritage Research Institute, also values highly the legacy of Dongchoon, which she said incorporated many traditional performers and artists who operated before its 1925 founding. 'Its foundation exceeds 100 years. In a historical perspective, I think it should be designated as an intangible cultural asset,' Heo said. Park said he almost closed the circus in 2009 after his shows drew only 10-20 spectators each for several months during a widespread flu outbreak. It survived after local media reports sympathizing with the plight of Dongchoon prompted many people to flock and fully pack shows for weeks, he said. Dongchoon leaps again at its seaside big top Since 2011, Dongchoon has been performing at a big top at a seaside tourist area in Ansan, just south of Seoul. Its circus workers also frequently travel to other areas for temporary shows. Dongchoon officials said their business is doing relatively well, drawing several hundred spectators on weekdays and up to 2,000 on weekends at Ansan alone. Ansan official Sharon Ham said local tourism has been boosted by Dongchoon's presence. She said Dongchoon shows are popular with both older generations wanting to recall childhood memories of circuses and younger generations seeking something new. 'It was a very impressive and meaningful circus,' Sim Chung-yong, a 61-year-old spectator, said after one show last week. 'But I also thought about how much big pains and hardships those circus acrobats underwent to perform like this.' Dongchoon officials say they now offer only acrobatic performances and refrain from too-risky acts because many people don't like them any longer. Its all 35 acrobats are now Chinese, as a circus job is generally shunned by more affluent South Koreans who consider it too dangerous and low-paying. Park said he bought land at Ansan where he hopes to build a circus school to nurture South Korean circus artists. Xing Jiangtao, 37, has been working for Dongchoon since 2002 — initially as an acrobat and now as its performance director. He recalled that when he first came to South Korea, he and his Chinese colleagues all worked as assistants to Dongchoon's 50 South Korean acrobats but they've all left one by one. 'Now, it's the only circus in South Korea, and I hope we will create good circus performances to show to spectators so that we can help Dongchoon exist for another 100 years,' Xing said in fluent Korean.
San Francisco Chronicle
6 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
From 'Love Island' to the practice field, Jaxson Dart is already fitting in with the Giants' QBs
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — It took no time for Jaxson Dart to become one of the guys in the New York Giants ' quarterbacks room. The first-round draft pick from Mississippi is drawing rave reviews for his work on and off the football field — and his competitive approach and cool confidence have helped him easily get along with Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston and Tommy DeVito. The four often have dinner together and hang out away from the facility. DeVito also dropped the news that practice videos aren't all they watch together. The two also occasionally tune into 'Love Island,' the popular Peacock reality dating series. 'I can't say we do it every night, but from time to time if we get an off day,' a smiling DeVito said Wednesday after the Giants wrapped up minicamp. 'Yeah, we watch it, we talk about it.' Not only that, the two have tossed around the idea of someday being contestants. 'Me and Jaxson might go on 'Love Island,'' DeVito said. 'We've talked about it. So, you really don't know what's about to happen.' That could also be said of the Giants' quarterback situation as they head into training camp. Wilson is the certain starter, but the spots behind him on the depth chart are up for grabs. And Dart will be given every chance to earn that No. 2 role. 'They've had this blueprint and they've done it with different quarterbacks and you've seen them succeed at the highest level, so I trust them,' Dart said. "For me, I'm just trying to be the most coachable player that I can. I want to play well in the offense. I want to be able to manage it and operate it at the highest level. I know that they definitely do have a plan. I'm just trying to take it day by day and I'm not looking for results immediately. 'I'm a process driven person, so I'm just taking it day by day, rep by rep.' Coach Brian Daboll and the Giants loved what they saw from Dart when they evaluated him before the draft. So much so that general manager Joe Schoen traded back into the first round to take the Utah native with the 25th overall pick. Daboll has spoken about having a plan for Dart through the offseason and into training camp, and so far the rookie has done an 'excellent' job, according to the coach. 'He's fit right in with those guys,' Daboll said. 'He's smart, he's aggressive with the football, which I like. And then the true test will be once we start and there's live hitting and preseason games and things like that. But he's progressed since he's been here to where he is now. He's made good improvement.' Wilson has taken the majority of the snaps with the starters. But Dart has been in for a few plays with the starting offense, while primarily working with the second and third teams. 'It's good to get him in with the ones,' Daboll said. 'There's usually a level of anxiety at times for young players when they get thrown into the mix. It's not exactly planned in terms of he's getting rep (No.) 3. Sometimes we'll just say, 'Get in there.' Then he's calling plays in front of veterans that have done it at a high level. I think that's important.' Dart, who broke Eli Manning's school record for yards passing at Ole Miss, said he was 'swimming' a bit during his first few days in the NFL. But he has enjoyed having a lot of information thrown at him to see how much — and how quickly — he can absorb. 'I feel like I've made tremendous strides, especially from my first day to now, just being able to understand the pictures of the offense and whatnot,' Dart said. 'Obviously, I have to dive into a lot more, but I'm definitely just trying to take it to the next level over the summer. Really just lock in, hone in on as much as I can throughout this time, so that way when I get back for training camp, I'm on an even better level than I'm now.' 'Any time that I see them after practices sitting in the meeting room, I try to just sit down and listen,' Dart said. "In the meeting rooms, trying to listen and then if I have questions on the field, I've got three great guys to talk to and ask for advice from. So, I'm constantly searching for that. I don't have any pride about myself going over to ask questions and I know that I definitely don't know everything. 'So I definitely want to pick those guys' brains because they've done it at the highest level and even won a Super Bowl.' ___
