Though 2019 is rounding the corner into the final stretch, who’s to say now isn’t as good a time as any for new talent to make themselves known? Clearly, new wave-leaning newcomers, The Wants, have taken the cue and are hot out of the gate.
The Brooklyn-based trio — made up of guitarist and lead singer Madison Velding-VanDam, guitarist Heather Elle, and drummer Jason Gates — only have two singles to their name but it’s clear that they’re ready to release something intimidatingly brutal onto the local diy scene.
Following their dynamic introductory single, “Clearly a Crisis,” August 23rd brought the drop of “Fear My Society,” a deadpan take on the bleak state of our world that speaks to the soul. Just look around: the Amazon is literally ablaze, United States legislators are attempting to make it legal to discriminate in the workplace…I could go on and on but simply put, thing’s can’t seem to get any worse. With that in mind, why wouldn’t The Wants want to channel their angst into their creative process?
With an opening riff that’s reminiscent of Sorry’s “Starstruck” in terms of it’s deconstructed, simplistic pairing of hypnotic bass and quick-paced drums, “Fear My Society” is an earworm from the get-go.
Similarly to New York art punk band BODEGA — for whom Elle and Velding-VanDam also contribute their talents — The Wants delve into uncharted territory, mixing contemporary themes with an eclectic mix of genres. Between their two releases, they’ve already shown a wide range — from classic post-punk tropes and sex appeal on their first single to a more frenzied, 80s techno-infused take on the most recent.
Each of the band’s public releases are riddled with worry: despite their pessimistic outlook on love and on our crumbling democracy, it would be unfair not to note the realism in their qualms. In actuality, almost everything’s anxiety-inducing and almost nothing ever turns out the way you initially planned — if you can’t talk about how frustrating that is in your art, how else can you talk about it?
“Will you love me if I’m a failure?” Velding-VanDam ponders in a deep, sultry lull. As he noted in an interview with DIY, this is a real fear of his — one that many of us share.
“I can tell my anxiety’s bringing me down,” the track continues (and you might find yourself nodding along, whether in agreement or simply due to the catchiness of the track itself). When in a state of constant panic (at least, in terms of my own experience with anxiety), the hardest part is being aware that you’re being irrational and that you might be self-sabotaging but not being able to stop. Being able to tackle these very real, crippling fears without hesitation takes strength, especially when doing so for a literal audience. The utter truth behind this track makes it shine particularly bright.
Despite their relative newness to the “scene,” with two ultra-powerful singles already on their repertoire, it’s obvious that The Wants are soon to be wanted by everyone else, too.
Catch The Wants at the next DIY x Alt Citizen show on October 25 — tix here
