At first glance, this band may seem like an improbable patchwork quilt of a union. With backgrounds ranging from graphic design, theater, collegiate sports, film production, and IT work, the guys from The Wilder Society definitely bring something unique to the table, and this doesn’t even cover their past musical endeavors. Each of the four has pursued music over years encompassing a veritable array of genres: electronic rock, jazz, surfer punk, and rockabilly, just to name a few – but the paths previously taken perfectly led them to this point. By combining their mutual love for folk music with their differing pasts, they have discovered a sound truly unique to them. “It feels like one of those ‘right place, right time’ stories,” says lead singer, Chris Molitor. “We all pursued different projects that fell short for one reason or another, and somehow, coming from different places, we found each other and it just clicked.”
Released on July 29, 2016, Lion’s Den is The Wilder Society’s debut EP. At the helm of the project was dynamic producer, Bill Lefler (Ingrid Michaelson, Joshua Radin). Mixing was tackled by Ryan Lipman, and mastering by Evren Goknar (Capitol Records). A seamless blend of soaring folk anthems, heartfelt ballads and lush musical arrangements, this five song project introduces the listener to The Wilder Society’s tasteful synthesis of powerful vocals, traditional folk instrumentation, and modern electronic timbres. “A beautiful piece of art, the album trances you into a whole different world, a place where you have never been,” wrote Emilee Gorshe of Elmore Magazine. “I couldn’t help replaying the CD over and over again.”
In this interview, we had the fortunate opportunity of grabbing the attention of all members of The Wilder Society to discuss their Lion’s Den EP…and laserdisc, 8-tracks as well as comparisons to T-Rexes and Kangaroos might enter the conversation.
Full Q&A, links, and a stream of Lion’s Den below.
Let’s dive a little deeper into You, the artist and your music. What attracted you to this genre(s) or style(s)?
Chris – I have always connected with folk music. I love the organic, warm tones of acoustic instruments, and the wide range of emotions that can be found within folk songs. Whether you’re jamming in a backyard with five friends or playing in front of a big crowd at a club, the folk genre always seems to translate well and brings people together. I love that.
Sean: I’m attracted to folk and Americana because it has both a feel good quality and a melancholy tone at the same time. It embraces this unique balance of both worlds, and walks this fine line.
David – Genre is secondary to me and good songs rule the roost. If the music connects with me, I will pull the same emotions, motivation and inspiration from it no matter the style. The Wilder Society has offered me all of those things and then couple it will great people to play/write/work with and the attraction is pretty undeniable.
Rene: I remember listening to Damien Rice’s first record and being blown away by the purity and simplicity of the production and songwriting. I think he’s influenced a lot of the “new folk” music that’s happened in the past ten years.
How long have you been creating and sharing your music with the public?
Chris – The Wilder Society still feels relatively new. We’ve all had bands or solo projects in the past, but this project began in early 2015. Our first single was released in late 2015, and we just put out our debut EP on July 29th. A growing number of people have been following along since the beginning on Instagram and Facebook, so it was nice to finally release this first batch of songs together.
Sean: I’ve played drums with these guys for almost a year, and we’ve been able to play some great shows and venues in LA. The crowd response has been awesome, and it really keeps us wanting to play more, and reach more people with our music.
David – I’ve play music my whole life but The Wilder Society really started to find its footing in early 2015. We have hit the ground running since then and every day is a new challenge to get the music in front of people in whatever ways we can.
Rene: I’ve been collaborating with Chris on and off for the last five years! So a lot of these songs have a long history for us. The cool thing is that since starting the band in April of 2015, we’ve been writing on a whole new level. We’re gonna be in the studio again REAL soon.
Who or what influences your playing and/or writing? Also, what motivates you to keep going?
Chris – I think the idea of “home” greatly influences my songwriting. I grew up in Michigan. My parents had a great house set way back in the woods – it was a very serene and beautiful place to grow up. I’ve lived away from Michigan for quite some time, but I love coming back to visit my folks. It’s where I will always feel welcome no matter what. It’s that idea and longing for “home” that influences me the most. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a physical place. It can be a person who makes you feel at home and feel safe. I think a lot of us can relate to that feeling.
Sean: I think every time I make a change in life it really brings out some good material. Whether it’s moving to a new city, breaking up with someone, quitting a job, traveling. Anything that opens your eyes a bit and gets you out of your comfort zone can get the creative wheels spinning.
David – I am usually most influenced and motivated by the people closest to me. I spend so much time with them and get to know them so well that is hard to not to let their presence, energy and ideas guide me in some ways. Surround yourself with people that inspire you, encourage you and very importantly, have good sense of humor, and “keeping at it” will be something you just do vs something you have to work at.
Rene: My motivation is always to tell the best story I can with whatever I’m playing or singing.
Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on this new project? Creatively or otherwise?
Chris – Lion’s Den is our debut EP, so one primary goal was to really dive into the studio with an open mind, and allow ourselves to find who we are as a band and to find our “sound.” We didn’t want to just copy what other folk bands have done instrumentally, so we relied on our producer, Bill Lefler, to help us explore what makes us especially unique.
Sean: I think the goal was to make a solid, Hi Fi album that carries similar themes throughout the songs.
David – Every project or album is another attempt at further articulating the artist vision we have set while also connecting with as many people as possible. Songs are incredibly subjective so writing them to fulfill what you think others want to hear will almost always give you an unfulfilling result. You have to get out what you want to say first, period. But you also have to work at fitting those songs into a broad enough context that the average person might find something to identify with. It’s a delicate balance that is always a work in progress.
Rene: With these songs, we’re always trying to tell a truthful story. Our challenge going into the studio was finding the right production elements that would support that story, not distract from it. By the end of the recording process, I think we hit a sweet spot. We have this really full, lush sound that doesn’t take away from the melody and the lyrics. I definitely think that’s worth something.
What was the last song you listened to?
Chris – A Pound of Flesh by Radical Face
Sean: Ease Your Feet Into The Sea by Belle and Sebastian
David – Everybody Dance Now by C&C Music Factory.
Rene: To Whom It May Concern by The Civil Wars. (All the feels.)
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
Chris – Vinyl
Sean: I love listening to MP3’s because you can be so mobile, but nothing’s quite like the sound of vinyl.
David – laserdisc ftw!
Rene: Tapes for my 8 track player 😛
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
Chris – My personal favorite is Pandora. Some of my favorite artists/bands are ones I first heard on Pandora. The same thing happens on Spotify. I love that they serve as a platform for many people to hear your music, when they would have never found you otherwise.
Sean: Spotify is my jam. I just loved it when it first came out. Finally I could listen to pretty much any song I wanted, when I wanted to.
David – Pandora. I sold them my soul over 5 years ago and it has worked out pretty well since.
Rene: iTunes is pretty convenient because so many people have iPhones now, and they really offer the only seamless mobile purchase experience. But I have a lot of love for Bandcamp too! They’re doing great things for independent music.
Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what are one or two of the biggest challenges you face when trying to attract listeners to your music?
Chris – I think for us, it’s easy to be labeled as “just another folk band.” What I hope is that people will be willing to give us a listen because I think they will be surprised by what they hear. We have a truly unique sound that has a blend of traditional folk instrumentation and electric instruments. It’s a really full sound that I think many people would love.
Sean: the biggest challenge is definitely trying to branch out as something different, or something new and original. It’s really difficult to be at the front of the wave with a certain style of music when there’s so many bands out there.
David – Doing something interesting and unique enough to get people’s attention. I believe we have great songs but there are a lot of great songs out there and that alone won’t cut it. You have to find that something different that people feel they only really get from you.
Rene: I actually think the digital era has given us some amazing tools for reaching people. We’ve made friends and fans through Instagram who never would have heard our music. I think the only way to survive as an artist today is to fully embrace the possibilities that technology provides. Otherwise you’re living in the past!
Do you gig, tour or perform? Do you ever live stream? Where can music lovers see you live?
Chris – We love playing live. Personally, it’s my favorite part of being a musician. I love seeing the audience connect with us. We’re based in LA, so we play around town a good amount. We’re preparing for our first tour right now. We’ll be playing shows up the west coast in late October.
Sean: We gig in LA a lot, and continue to play some great shows. We’ve also done some more intimate parties and backyard gigs which are so fun and it gives us a chance to talk with everyone too.
David – We play out a lot and that is us at our best in my opinion. Check us out online to find out where and when we are playing next.
Rene: Our next gig is August 22nd at Harvard and Stone in Hollywood! We’ll be live streaming it on Facebook Live and Periscope (@wilder_society). Tune in and say hi!
Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more of your music?
Chris – I think instagram is a great place to connect with us. We do post music on there a lot, but it’s also a way for people to get to know who we are on a personal level.
Sean: Check out our instagram handle. You can see the candid side of The Wilder Society, and see when our next gig is.
David – Instachat. Facegram. Snapbook. We are on all of them.
Rene: Social media! We love interacting with people who enjoy our music. It’s freaking inspiring! Our Instagram (@thewildersociety) is a great place to start!
Any last thoughts? Shout outs? Words of wisdom?
Chris – Words of wisdom…I suppose I’d always tell people that it’s never too late to pursue your dream or learn something new. I didn’t start singing or writing songs until my mid twenties, and now it’s my greatest passion. If I had believed it was too late for me or that the risk was too great, then I wouldn’t be here doing this now. I’ve often wished I could go back and start music sooner, but each of our stories are unique and makes us who we are.
Sean: I think you have to go out and do whatever it is you think you’re great at and enjoy doing. A lot of people tend to hold back because of fear of failure, but the only time you fail is when you don’t try it. Also, make sure to order the animal style at In-N-Out Burger.
David – Kangaroos kind of look like shrunken, furry t-rexes. Think about it.
Rene: Hi Mom!
