Purity still exists in modern-day music. There’s the purity of real instruments – violin, acoustic guitar, upright bass, percussion, and even cello – coupled with homespun harmonies that magically float into the ether. Then, you have the purity of songs written from the soul that fill a human void. None of that ever goes out of style.
Folk-Americana trio The Wildwoods, hailing from Lincoln, Nebraska, continue to bring sonic beauty and simplicity to today’s increasingly complicated and cluttered musical landscape. With Dear Meadowlark, the band’s fourth full-length album set for official release April 11, 2025, The Wildwoods have once again taken the hallmarks of the folk-Americana sound and dressed it in indie sensibilities a la heroes Nickel Creek and Gillian Welch as well as genre mainstays Bon Iver and Mumford & Sons.
And yet, at its core, Dear Meadowlark is about three 20-something musicians celebrating the emotional allure of familiarity and comfort. “The main lyrical theme of the album is the appreciation for our home state of Nebraska and the homesickness that can come with long periods spent on the road,” says Noah Gose.
The Wildwoods have been road warriors for the last few years, and that will continue as a string of dates across 24 cities in advance of the new album have been confirmed and announced today, with many more to be added. Several of the dates are in support of the acclaimed indie folk/Americana band TopHouse.
The Wildwoods are Noah Gose on vocals, acoustic and electric guitar; his wife, Chloe Gose on vocals and violin; and longtime friend Andrew Vaggalis on vocals and upright bass. Also on Dear Meadowlark are Harrison Eldorado on drums and percussion; Samuel Stanley on cello; and Benjamin Brodin on organ and steel guitar. Dear Meadowlark was recorded in March 2024 at Hand Branch Studio in Omaha, Nebraska. The album is co-produced by The Wildwoods and Brodin with engineering by Brodin.
Among the 10 gems on Dear Meadowlark, all of them written by Noah Gose, are four standouts that exemplify The Wildwoods’ nimble command of stitching a warm aural quilt that feels new yet well-worn.
"Sweet Niobrara" – Lilting and lightly foot-tapping ode to the village in Knox County, Nebraska weaves picturesque lyrics with a spry, folky-bluegrass beat. This is also the lead single being released this Friday, Oct. 25.
"Poster Child" – Wrapped in gorgeous stringed instruments, The Wildwoods sing about the restlessness of youth and the heavy expectations that eventually lead to adulthood.
"Hideaway" – This folk-Americana tune brimming with hints of folk-rock is a perceptive exploration about the need to find our inner retreat after we have performed on life’s stage.
"I Will Follow You to Willow" – Stunning melodies and harmonies, not to mention touches of steel guitar, accentuate this love letter to Willow, a community in Dawson County, Nebraska.
These songs, as the rest of Dear Meadowlark (which will also include a bonus track, the previously released stand-alone single “Postcards from Somewhere”) “showcase the timeless and classic sound of Americana/roots music working hand in hand with unique, genre-bending arrangements culminating in a collection of tunes that simultaneously sound brand new while harkening back to an older time,” says Noah Gose.
That delicate embrace of the past, present, and future has transformed The Wildwoods into a potent entity in the folk scene. Recently, The Wildwoods were finalists in the 2024 Rocky Mountain Songwriter Contest in Red Lodge, Montana. In 2023, the trio enjoyed being finalists in two high-profile band competitions – FreshGrass Music Festival and VHS “Gems in the Rough.” Also, their songwriting strengths have been recognized by semi-final placements in the International Songwriting competition with tracks such as “Untitled” and “Way of Train.”
Closer to home, The Wildwoods consistently earn acclaim at the Omaha Arts and Entertainment Awards. And in 2022, they were named “Best Band” by the Lincoln Journal Star’s Lincoln Choice Awards. Along the way, The Wildwoods also recorded three other full-length efforts Sweet Nostalgia (2017), Across a Midwest Sky (2019), and Foxfield Saint John (2023).
With Dear Meadowlark, The Wildwoods continue to offer listeners and audiences a musical respite that’s as pure as mountain air and as soul-restoring as quiet front-porch mornings.
Tour dates:
11/10: Garrison, IA @ Farmer’s Mercantile Hall
12/28: Chattanooga, TN @ The Barrelhouse Ballroom*
12/29: Lexington, KY @ The Burl *
12/31: Nashville, TN @ Cannery Hall *
1/3: Beech Mountain, NC @ Beech Mountain Resort
1/14: Telluride, CO @ The Alibi *
1/15: Aspen, CO @ Belly Up Aspen *
1/16: Boulder, CO @ Velvet Elk Lounge
1/17: Buena Vista, CO @ The Lariat *
1/18: Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre *
1/19: Salt Lake City, UT @ Soundwell *
1/22: Reno, NV @ The Virgil
1/24: San Francisco, CA @ Café Du Nord
1/25: Sebastopol, CA @ Sebastopol Community Cultural Center
1/26: Sacramento, CA @ The Sofia
1/28: Felton, CA @ Felton Music Hall
1/29: Los Angeles, CA @ The Mint
1/30: San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
1/31: Tucson, AZ @ Hotel Congress
2/1: Flagstaff, AZ @ House concert
2/2: Phoenix, AZ @ MIM Musical Instrument Museum
2/19: Galveston, TX @ Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe
2/20: Houston, TX @ Last Concert Café *
2/21: Austin, TX @ The Far Out Lounge & Stage *
2/22: Dallas, TX @ Ferris Wheelers Backyard and BBQ *
3/5: Greenville, SC @ Radio Room *
3/6: Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theatre *
3/7: Charlottesville, VA @ Jefferson Theatre *
3/8: Washington, DC @ Howard Theatre *
3/9: Ardmore, PA @ Ardmore Music Hall *
3/12: Hartford, CT @ Infinity Hall Hartford *
3/13: S. Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground *
3/14: Buffalo, NY @ Asbury Hall *
3/15: Lansing, MI @ Gewall Hall at 224 *
3/16: Covington, KY @ Madison Theatre *
4/9: Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall*
4/10: Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom *
4/11: Seattle, WA @ The Showbox*
4/12: Missoula, MT @ The Wilma*
4/13: Billings, MT @ The Pub Station*
5/2: Brookfield, WI @ Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts
*supporting TopHouse
