Today, acclaimed Austin-based ensemble Wild Child shared their newest single “Cheap Champagne.” It’s the latest peek into their upcoming album End of the World, out March 31 via Reba’s Ranch Records, their new self-run label exclusively distributed by Secretly Distribution. A dreamy, full-bodied ballad, the song details the closing of a relationship and the bouts of second-guessing that quickly follows. The track’s wistful and uncertain opening easily climbs to an impressive crescendo, introducing a confident horn and expansive string segment as bandmember Kelsey Wilson’s sweeping vocals highlight the tragic passion felt at the beginning of the end.
The band says, “This song has always felt special, like we had to get it right. Sometimes songs feel like they fall from the sky, like they were always there floating around above you and you just have to guide them down. Other songs are more elusive and less obvious and take years to find their form and place; where you collect little pieces of them along the way and have to be patient with them trying to put them all together.”
Listen / Share: “Cheap Champagne”
Wild Child has been named an official artist at this year’s SXSW in Austin, Texas and will also join Willie Nelson & His Family, Spoon, Ethel Cain, Fruit Bats, and more at this year’s Luck Reunion on March 16. Following this, the band will be embarking on a US tour this spring with Próxima Parada. This will mark Wild Child’s first post-Covid tour featuring the full band, including its newest member, John Calvin Abney. Abney joins Wild Child as the first songwriter to collaborate with the duo, Wilson and Alexander Beggins, on an album. Tickets are on sale now here.
End of the World is the band’s fifth full length album and their first since 2018’s Expectations. The album finds the band delving deeper into the contemplative edge which has long colored their songs, and sees the band expanding intimate, folky songs into lush, full band arrangements, as heard on previous singles “End of the Word,” “Wearing Blue” and “Photographs.” The record finds the band – known for their explorations of love and intimacy – at an impasse; how can we continue to love and thrive in the post-pandemic era?
The album was born out of a distance between the band’s core songwriters as they headed in different sonic directions. Wilson joined the singer-songwriter super group, Glorietta, and debuted her genre-bending, Motown/Neo-Soul-influenced solo project, Sir Woman, while Beggins unveiled his musical alter-ego, CoCo Zandi. By then, the two didn't know if they would ever make another Wild Child record. However, once pandemic lockdowns closed stages and drained bank accounts, the two knew they had to act. Lockdown brought about virtual shows and songwriting sessions while adding new vitality to the group.
"It felt like our very first record, when the two of us wrote a bunch of songs while on tour for someone else. There wasn't any aim to do anything with those songs at the beginning. For the first time since then, that's how we started writing these songs. We didn't know if we would make another record. It just came together," Beggins says. Sometimes, the “End of the World” is only the beginning.
Wild Child is known for spreading its infectious blend of indie-pop and ear-worm melodies across the international music scene, charting viral hits to the tune of over 1.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify and over 100 million streams to date. The band first formed in 2010 when the group's core duo of Wilson and Beggins wrote and released their first album, Pillow Talk (2011). Since then they’ve released three additional albums, The Runaround (2013), Fools (2015), and Expectations (2018). Along the way, Wild Child has become a live act that’s not to be missed, as seen during their episode of Austin City Limits, which has earned the band a diverse and dedicated fan base.
About Reba’s Ranch Records:
The Wild Child family is excited to announce the birth of Reba’s Ranch Records, a long-time vision of creating their own record label imprint to highlight some of the amazing music coming out of Austin, TX. The label was born after years of conversations within the band about the importance of controlling one’s own destiny and art. The imprint will be home to the Wild Child catalog, Kelsey’s Sir Woman and Alexander's CoCo Zandi recordings.
Wild Child Live Dates:
March 16 Austin, TX @ Luck Reunion
April 13 Boston, MA @ The Sinclair
April 14 New York, NY @ Racket
April 15 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
April 16 Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
April 18 Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle
April 19 Atlanta, GA @ Vinyl
April 20 Nashville, TN @ Blue Room @ Thurman
April 22 Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
April 23 Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
May 5 Austin, TX @ Emo’s
May 6 Fort Worth, TX @ Tulips FTW
May 9 Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf
May 11 Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theatre
May 12 Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theatre
May 13 Fort Collins, CO @ The Aggie Theatre
May 14 Aspen, CO @ Belly Up Aspen
May 16 Boise, ID @ The Olympic
May 18 Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
May 19 Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
May 20 Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
May 21 Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall
