Wallows are back, and they are better than ever. Crashing into new music Friday with their sophomore album Tell Me That It’s Over, the indie three-piece comprised of Braeden Lemasters, Cole Preston and 13 Reasons Why‘s Dylan Minnette have blessed us with 10 sun-soaked tracks, set aglow with the sparkle of indie sensibilities and the trio’s harmonious layered vocals. With multi-Grammy-Award-winning producer Ariel Rechtshaid also jumping on the project for what can best be described as a match made in musical heaven, it is elevated to one of the most repeat-worthy releases of early Spring sure to have you feeling heard, understood and represented – especially after a deep analysis of the album’s soul-baring lyricism.
When discussing the premise of the new album, the band explained, “The common theme across the songs generally is relationships. We all were either entering or exiting serious relationships during the writing process. The record highlights the highs and lows of relationships in your mid-20s and how serious they can feel because you are getting older. Decisions at this stage of your life feel more intense because they feel like they can impact the course of your future.”
Upon the release of their latest project, the band sat down with Wonderland to talk the trials and tribulations of dating in your mid-20s, their favourite tracks from Tell Me That It’s Over and a year filled with touring. Head below to enjoy our interview with Wallows…
Hello, Wallows! How are you all doing?
Great! We are staying busy and getting ready for our tour.
Let’s start right at the beginning, how did you all meet?
Braeden and Dylan moved to LA when they were both nine years old, and their mums met on an online chat forum for families moving to LA with their kids. They met up at a Cheesecake Factory and have been friends ever since. They met Cole three years later in an LA music program called Join the Band. The rest is history!
And at what point did you decide to form Wallows?
We had been performing for years under different band names but decided on Wallows when we debuted our first proper single, “Pleaser”, back in 2017.
Can you tell us how you decided on the name Wallows? Is there a meaning behind it?
Braeden came across it when playing the video game “Tony Hawk’s Underground”. You can skate a level called “Wallows” modelled after a real spot in Hawaii. The word also has various dictionary definitions that resonate well with music.
Congratulations on your new album, Tell Me That It’s Over! Are there any themes that run all the way through it?
The common theme across the songs generally is relationships. We all were either entering or exiting serious relationships during the writing process. The record highlights the highs and lows of relationships in your mid-20s and how serious they can feel because you are getting older. Decisions at this stage of your life feel more intense because they feel like they can impact the course of your future.
Many of the tracks are incredibly personal and vulnerable, what was your motivation behind exploring these emotions within your music?
We write from honest perspectives, so naturally, the music and lyrics will reflect what we are going through in our real lives. It feels like sort of a continuation from our first album, Nothing Happens. If Nothing Happens was about coming of age and leaving your youth behind, Tell Me That It’s Over is about navigating adulthood and the relationships that we experience.
And you worked with producer Ariel Rechtshaid to create it! What was it like working with him?
We have admired Ariel’s work for a long time, so working on a record with him has been a dream of ours for a while. He really knows how to make his work sound timeless, and he’s helped make our songs sound more exciting than ever.
The album itself feels like one of your most unpredictable releases yet. What sparked the change in sound?
Ironically, going into the record we had a different vision for what the album would end up sounding like – something that seemed like it would be more cohesive on paper. Ultimately by letting our preconceived notions go, and with Ariel’s influence, we created something more exciting and even more cohesive than we could have imagined.
Do any of you have a favourite track off the album?
It’s always changing for each of us, but we’d each say this right now…
Cole: “Missing Out”
Dylan: “Guitar Romantic Search Adventure”
Braeden: “Hurts Me”
And finally, after your album drop, what are you looking forward to in 2022? Do you have anything else in the works?
Tour, tour and more tour (and hopefully some more music by the end of the year!)