Though you may have heard of The Wild Feathers only recently, the four piece is not new to the music business. In addition to hitting stages with the likes of Paul Simon, Delta Spirit, and Surfer Blood, the band has been signed to Interscope, dropped from Interscope, and signed again with Warner Bros. Records. And they haven’t even released their debut record yet.
Forming with the sole intention of starting a new band, the evolution of The Wild Feathers was fortunate but it was not accidental, and their backstory is as organic as their sound. Hailing from disparate corners of the South as well as eclectic backgrounds in music, Joel King, Ricky Young, Taylor Burns, and Preston Wimberly came together in Austin in 2010. "I wish we had, like, some breakthrough story. We’re not a new band, but everybody’s kind of been around for a little bit and knows how to work it so it’s helped out," says King. Having paid their dues in various musical outfits throughout the years, to the untrained eye, it seems that The Wild Feathers have been granted permission to jump the line, but in reality, they’ve simply learned to navigate it.
Overlapping the grit of rock n’ roll with an Americana twang, it makes sense that The Wild Feathers have found a home in Nashville. Embraced immediately by new and old friends within the community, you’re as likely to find King and his bandmates supporting their fellow musicians at a show as you are to find them in the studio, recording background vocals for Butch Walker‘s new album. "It makes your band better when you’re around other people who are real progressive and doin’ it up. It makes you want to step it up."
Wednesday night, The Wild Feathers will kick off their month-long residency over at The High Watt. Billed as "Feathers and Friends," the band will take the stage with a revolving door of guests each Wednesday throughout the month of February. And, to keep things interesting, the band has a few surprises up their sleeve.
The release of the band’s eponymous debut album is set tentatively for June, but you can hear the songs tomorrow night at The High Watt, starting at 8 pm. For more details on the event, click here. –Brianne Turner