Wild Rivers have shared their new single ‘Neon Stars,’ along with an accompanying music video. The track is taken from their highly anticipated second album – Sidelines – out on 4th February and a debut UK and Ireland tour in May 2022.
Indie trio Wild Rivers have made a big impact in the space of just one album and two EPs. Drawing upon elements of pop, rock, indie and folk, they craft tracks which are rich with evocative emotions and classic songwriting. It’s a flair that’s naturally connecting with audiences. They’ve accumulated over 200 million global streams, including 30 million+ for the songs ‘Wandering Child’, ‘Amsterdam’ and ‘Thinking ‘Bout Love’, leading to more than 2 million monthly listeners at Spotify.
Wild Rivers have now shared their brand new single ‘Neon Stars’ as they prepare to release their second album ‘Sidelines’, which will be out on February 4th via Nettwerk.
‘Neon Stars’ was written by Wild Rivers’ Khalid Yassein with celebrated Nashville singer-songwriter Caitlyn Smith, whose credits include Miley Cyrus, Meghan Trainor and FLETCHER. The result is a stripped-down, contemplative song that romanticises a carefree love from the past through the lens of the more complicated present. The band’s beautifully blissful vocal harmonies capture the yearning for something that has long since passed: “You were sleeping I was tracing / Every part of you a constellation / I knew you / But I was terrified.”
Khalid Yassein (guitar, vocals, keys) says, “Caitlyn is one of those people where you can tell that she was born to write songs. I had this idea that I couldn’t figure out for a long time, and after showing it to her, within a minute she figured out the puzzle like it was nothing. Songwriters that have that magic and humility are a rare breed. Not to mention it was pretty special to hear her voice sing it in the room.”
The song’s accompanying video imagines the song in the context of a sparsely attended open mic night. An older man performs to a near empty room, although at least one woman is paying attention. The three members of Wild Rivers also appear in small roles. Vocalist Devan Glover steals a shot of vodka from the bar for Dutch courage as she’s next on stage.Andrew Oliver (lead guitar, synths) plays a barman with his own less-than-admirable plan, while Khalid Yassein appears as the bar’s only other customer.
‘Neon Stars’ will feature on the ‘Sidelines’ album alongside Wild Rivers’ recent singles which include ‘Better When We’re Falling Apart’ and ‘Amsterdam’. ‘Sidelines’ is where Wild Rivers poured their collective impressions about merging into their mid-20s, a strange, transitional age where it’s easy to romanticize childhood. The album was co-produced by Peter Katis(The National, Interpol, Sharon Van Etten) and Wild Rivers, and was recorded in Connecticut, Los Angeles and Kingston, Ontario.
Andrew Oliver describes ‘Sidelines’ as looking back longingly upon “The time when you were truly present and you didn’t have this forward-thinking vision where you’re worried about the next thing.”
Devan Glover adds, “A lot of ‘Sidelines’ is about perspective and longing to be somewhere that you’re not, or trying to figure out how to get to a place that you want to be, whether it’s physically, emotionally. I think we’re all kind of struggling with our sense of identity, in the stage of life that we’re in.”
‘Sidelines’ is available to pre-order HERE. The album will be released on digital, CD and vinyl formats, while their official store offers signed CDs and vinyl, as well as a range of new merch designs.
Wild Rovers’ debut North American tour resulted in packed venues, selling-out shows in key cities including New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Nashville and San Francisco. Demand is also high for their debut UK and Ireland tour, which has seen a second night added at London’s Oslo after the initial show soon sold-out. The Bristol show is also sold-out. Please see here for ticket details and a full list of the band’s upcoming international shows. Axel Flóvent will support at all gigs in the UK, Ireland and Europe.
UK and Ireland headline tour dates:
MAY 2022
6th – Ireland, Dublin, Workman’s Club Cellar (ADDED DATE)
7th – Ireland, Cork, Cyprus Avenue (ADDED DATE)
9th – UK, London, Oslo (ADDED DATE)
10th – UK, Manchester, Night & Day
11th – UK, London, Oslo (SOLD OUT)
14th – UK, Bristol, The Louisiana (SOLD OUT)
