Here’s to setting the scene: Two new friends sit in the back of a tour van, sharing bottles of cheap red wine and holding deep conversations of hearts broken and loves lost. A year later, these two friends, Alexander Beggins (lead vocals, baritone ukulele) and Kelsey Wilson (lead vocals, violin), would help form six-piece folk band Wild Child. With the release of their debut album Pillow Talk right around the corner, Wild Child has been busy mastering tracks and organizing album material. Pillow Talk carries dreamy, atmospheric compositions that hold steadfast to the themes of love and loss. “[We focus] mainly on being as honest as we can about the trials and tribulations that come with a bad breakup and the conflicting, sometimes confusing, emotions that lead up to it,” says Beggins.
Since their coincidental meeting, Alexander and Kelsey have linked with current members Evan Magers (keys, vocals), Carey McGraw (drums, vocals), Sadie Wolfe (cello) and Matthew Mares (banjo, percussion). Beggins knows that the addition of a full band has been beneficial to Wild Child: “Our shows have grown into so much more than what [Kelsey and I] could accomplish as just a duo. We’ve grown into such a close-knit team that it’s hard to imagine playing a show without everybody now.” Since their debut, Wild Child consistently plays around Austin, naming venues like The Parish and Stubb’s as favored stomping grounds. “We’ve [also] played a lot of fun shows at Beauty Bar, which has become sort of our home base. It’s always nice to play a show with a familiar stage and sound team.”
Layered with warm, welcoming harmonization, there are several available singles that will debut with Pillow Talk’s release. Among them, “That’s What She Say,” co-written with Magers, fronts female vocals while playing on island-oriented rhythm and doo-wop verses. The airy harmonies of “Darling Divine” create a flowing melody through simplicity; the void of percussion makes the song trancelike and intimate. Keys give the song “The Escape” a heavy, brooding melody, yet the instrumentation never wanders far from Wild Child’s signature sound. While the band will be hosting their CD release party at The Parish on October 27th, Pillow Talk will be available on October 25th. Conveying a delicate yet driven combination of acoustic pop riffs and classical folk flair, Wild Child proves one of the more renowned acts evolving from the Austin indie music scene. –Whitney LeFevre
