I was honored to have played bass guitar with one of Austin’s hometown heroes, the indie-folk outfit, Wild Child during this year’s SXSW. The band is on the Nashville-based label, Dualtone Records. Wild Child is label-mates with artists such as The Lumineers and Whiskey Shivers. After one of our rehearsals, I had the chance to sit down and chat with Kelsey (vocals & violin) and Alexander (vocals & baritone ukulele). Here is what they had to say:
Jay: I know that SXSW is crazy time here in Austin but I’m sure it calms down the rest of the year. There is a lot of culture and beauty in this city. What about the city of Austin keeps you inspired and fulfilled as an artist and individual?
Kelsey: You get the fast-paced city life, which I enjoy, every once in a while. But, there are also outdoor swimming holes, trees to climb, and beautiful nature to explore. There’s also good food to eat.
Alexander: There’s great food to eat. There are secret spots, always good music, and a plethora of friends.
Jay: In Wild Child, you utilize an unconventional line-up of instruments. Kelsey, you play the fiddle and Alexander, you play the baritone ukulele. There is a cellist. The keyboardist doubles on trumpet and then there are drums and bass. It is truly very different than most guitar driven bands. How did you end up making the decision to go this direction instrumentally?
Alexander: It kind of just happened that way. We never sat down one day and decided to make a band with these specific instruments or consciously decided to sounds like this. Before Wild Child, we were touring as members of this band, The Migrant. We had a ukulele in the van with us when we were traveling and Kelsey and I would write songs together on it
Kelsey: It was the only thing that would fit in the back seat with the two of us.
Alexander: It was just happenstance that it happened like that. By the time we finished tour, we came home with almost a record full of songs. It just kind of started with a ukulele, a fiddle…
Kelsey: and then whatever friends that were around who wanted to play. They just joined the band. So it was just like, alright, we know a cello player so we’ll have a cello. We know a bass player, so let’s get bass.
Alexander: Yeah, we just built the band around the recording of our first record, Pillow Talk. It just kind of came together by the end of that record. There were six defined roles in the recording and that is where our line-up came from.
Jay: Most people don’t know how difficult the life of a touring musician can be. With the relentless traveling and backward schedules, it can be very challenging to maintain a normal life. What is the redeeming factor of tour life that makes it worthwhile for you?
Kelsey: For me, it is the people you get to meet every night. You get to meet a lot of amazing musicians on the road, people who work in the industry, and people who just love music. You have a group of friends everywhere you go, and it’s nice.
Alexander: Yeah, I totally agree with that and the people definitely make it fun. Then there is also the aspect of traveling. There is so much that we get to see and do and it takes us places we never would have been able to go before. I think that is kind of special in this job. There is also a lot of satisfaction in that this life is a dream that we had, and a lot of other people had. But the dream is our reality now. We’re not sitting at a desk every day and typing away at a computer. Sometimes it is easy to forget that. But, when I think about how my life could have gone a different way, it is pretty exciting to know that this what I get to do every day, for work.
Jay: If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring musician or band, what would you tell them?
Kesley: Say yes to everything.
Alexander: Yeah, say yes to everything in the beginning.
Kelsey: Just play every show. Drive the extra mile. Get paid nothing. Sleep on floors. Eat gas station food. If you say no to something, there are a hundred other bands, that are just as good, that will do it. You have to take every opportunity that comes your way.
Alexander: I think it is important to build your team wisely. Surround yourself with people you trust, respect, and like to work with. I think most bands figure it out after a while. Sometimes you have to make some mistakes and use those as a learning experience. Pick the people you work with very carefully and trust them, love them, care for them, hold them (laughter), bathe them, feed them, and swaddle them (more laughter).
Jay: Both of you tour with the Shure Beta 57 ($139) as a vocal microphone. Why did you choose this specific microphone?
Kelsey: I sing very quietly and we have a lot of problems with feedback all of the time. I was informed that the Beta 57 would help with these problems if I sang right on the mic. The supercardiod polar pattern would reject a lot of the stage noise and minimize feedback. The microphone has a higher output level which helps with my quieter voice.
Alexander: We’ve never been gear-heads or recording experts by any means. We just go by what sounds good to us. When we first tried out these mics, there was a noticeable difference in volume and clarity. Yeah, we’ve been rolling with the Shure Beta 57 ever since.
Jay: And now, for the lightning question round. What is your favorite food?
Alexander: Pizza.
Kelsey: Eggs.
Jay: What is your favorite color and why?
Alexander: Blue, because blue is tight.
Kelsey: Also blue, because I like water.
Jay: What is your favorite footwear?
Kelsey: None.
Alexander: Great question. I like to wear boots.
Jay: Tell me a joke.
Alexander: Have you heard the one about Pinocchio? Well, Pinocchio is… [censored for explicit content]
Kelsey: Three… [censored for explicit content]
Jay: If you could be an animal which one would you be and why?
Alexander: A barracuda, because I’ve never seen one.
Kelsey: A brown bear, because I feel that I’m kind of like a momma bear.
Jay: What is one of your favorite bands right now?
Kelsey: Right now, Rayland Baxter.
Alexander: (long pause) Does Dakota Fanning have a band? (laughter)
You can find Wild Child’s music on iTunes and Spotify. Check out their website for tour dates.
