Canadian duo Wotts have released their first single of the year, “wheel”. While this latest effort strays from their usual 80’s aesthetic, the track stays true to the band’s goal of creating music that balances retro with contemporary. Produced by Jayem, “wheel” is about surrendering to life and to a certain extent, mortality. A bit heavy for a band that’s used to making songs about love and heartbreak, but as Wotts likes to say, “You go where the song takes you”. Outside of mixing up the sound, this was the first time the band opted for a live, more ‘organic’ recording. As Jayem explains, “We’ve been completely DIY since we started. But there was something telling us that we needed to use real horns and strings this time around. We still wrote all the parts, but we brought in other musicians to help give it an orchestral vibe. Ultimately we wanted everything sounding super natural”.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Hey Wotts, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. How has the time gone for you since our last interview?
Nice to hear from you! Time’s definitely flown since we last connected for sure. We’ve been going hard making new music, so can’t complain too much.
How do you balance your time in the studio with other commitments such as a part-time job, family, admin?
It’s been challenging I won’t lie. We basically learned how to do everything on our own during the pandemic when we were all stuck at home and had all the free time in the world. Now that things are ‘back to normal’, it takes a lot more effort to carve out time to create, but thankfully we got some understanding people around us.
Your latest song is 'wheel'. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
Yes! I had horrible Covid when we made this late last year. I think that’s a big reason why it’s such a different vibe compared to what we’ve put out to date. The sessions are a bit of a blur, but I remember wanting to mix it up and use way more live instruments than we normally do, even horns and violins. I think I was listening to “Magical Mystery Tour” a lot around that time, so if parts of it sound a bit trippy, you can probably blame that record and NyQuil.
What are your favourite musical genres, and are there any you dislike?
I think we both have love for Psychedelic pop. While that’s not really our sound, it’ll shine through every now and then in our music. Outside of that, I’ve got mad love for Hip Hop, Indie Pop and Alternative R&B. As far as dislikes go, I’ll just say that EDM isn’t for me. I’ve tried to love it but it just won’t love me back.
How do you find yourself in the music business? When you started out in music, did you know it would be like this?
I think like most musicians, it started with an innocent and pure love for music. After that it was just baby step after baby step, then all of sudden I’m playing festivals with my buddies. It’s been fun for sure, and I’d like to think we do it for the right reasons, but I never thought it would be this tough mentally and physically.
Who is your favourite musician?
I’ve had a few over the years, but my number one right now is Kevin Parker (Tame Impala). Sure he makes great tracks, but what I love about him is that he does everything on his own and ignores ‘what you’re supposed to do’ and just goes with his gut. I’m nowhere near as talented as he is, but as an introvert that’s learning as I go, it’s super inspiring.
Describe your favorite and least favorite part about being a musician.
Right now my favorite part is creating the actual music. I’ve carved out a nice spot in my place to record and it feels like heaven on earth. My least favourite part is dodging all the sketchy people that reach out to us. Thankfully we’ve never been burned, but it sucks to waste energy dealing with scammers.
What’s your scariest experience?
We’ve been lucky so far, so nothing too bad has happened. That said, the first time I ever released a song with me singing is easily the scariest. It’s gotten easier the more and more we’ve dropped, thank god!
If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?
There’s so many things that need fixing, but compensating musicians fairly would be a great start. Spotify is great and all, but it’s sad to see how many streams you need to actually earn a living wage, let alone break even.
What can we expect from Wotts in the near future?
We’re dropping a trilogy to start the year. Our latest track “wheel’ is the first release, and with any luck, the next track will be coming out in April. Lots more planned for 2023, but we’re super stoked to share these ones!