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Wild Nothing | Indigo

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Album art, courtesy of Pitch Perfect PR ![Album art, courtesy of Pitch Perfect PR](https://assets-global.website-files.com/62ee0bbe0c783a903ecc0ddb/6472b417e46cbfa3d9e7e2fb_wild-nothing-indigo-Flaunt.jpeg) _Album art, courtesy of Pitch Perfect PR_ [Wild Nothing’s](https://www.instagram.com/wildnothing/) been busy. The band, led quintessentially by lead singer and sole songwriter Jack Tatum, released their fourth studio album, _Indigo_, this past August. Tatum, accompanied by other bandmates for live performances, is also touring the US and is scheduled to embark worldwide this coming Spring. Wild Nothing played the Regent Theater in DTLA at the end of October, delivering a riveting performance (pictures seen above). However, the question bears: Has Wild Nothing changed in their almost ten-year tenure? According to Tatum, “Ultimately, I haven’t really changed what I do that much, not necessarily out of stubbornness. I’ve just never felt that I was interested or really even capable in changing trends within my own music.” But that doesn’t mean Wild Nothing’s sound is set in stone. “I anticipate trying to skew things a bit stranger next time around, but as far as _Indigo_ is concerned it’s mostly a pop effort.” Check out the rest of our interview with Tatum below, as well as the music video for “Letting Go,” a standout track from the new record. Erika Reinsel ![Erika Reinsel](https://assets-global.website-files.com/62ee0bbe0c783a903ecc0ddb/6472b417e46cbfa3d9e7e301_Wild-Nothing-Reinsel-Flaunt7.jpeg) _Erika Reinsel_ **Flaunt: This isn’t the first time you’ve played the Regent Theater in DTLA. How was your experience this time and do you notice anything unique about playing in LA as compared to other cities?** Jack Tatum: I think I was a lot more stressed out the first time we played the Regent. At the time I had just recently moved to Los Angeles and was putting a lot of pressure on myself to be a good show. I felt less of that this time around, I was just happy to be back. It’s definitely unique, it’s a city I love very much but it’s also consistently been one of the best places for us to play. The crowd reaction and interaction is always so encouraging and heartwarming. **F: There is an obvious energy watching you play your music live on stage. What kind of space do you wish to create through live performance?** J: I’m not a particularly performative person in terms of trying to be someone that I’m not. I’m jealous of people that can do that, people who can separate themselves from their artistic identity and throw themselves into a more dramatic setting. For me it’s just about transparency I think. I try to give a really honest reinterpretation of the albums and we try our best to do them justice. For me it’s about honoring the relationship that our fans have with these records and allowing them to relive the memories they have associated with the music in a communal setting. **F: Is it ever difficult to capture the spirit of your recorded music in a live setting?** J: Definitely, it’s always a challenge that we have to spend time working through, but like I said that’s ultimately the goal. **F: You’re currently touring North America and scheduled to embark overseas in 2019. What are you most looking forward to this tour and what makes this time different from past tours?** J: In a lot of ways these tours feel like the tours we’ve done in the past. I think part of that is just the nature of touring, no matter how long of a break we take, as soon as we start playing again it’s like your mind flips and you enter this familiar headspace for better or worse. I do enjoy touring ultimately. Recording is my first love but this gives things perspective in a way that you never get from just sitting in a room writing music. I’m excited to revisit a few places we haven’t been in Europe in ages, Italy and Scandinavia for instance. Also really looking forward to playing some shows in Asia again. Erika Reinsel ![Erika Reinsel](https://assets-global.website-files.com/62ee0bbe0c783a903ecc0ddb/6472b417e46cbfa3d9e7e2fe_Wild-Nothing-Reinsel-Flaunt4.jpeg) _Erika Reinsel_ **F: Side note for my own interest: what are your instruments of choice when playing live? Do you use the same equipment from show to show or do you like to change it up?** J: We don’t change things up from show to show so much just for practical reasons but every new tour allows a chance to rethink the way we set things up. I’ve always played guitar in the band live though we’re starting to introduce a few changes and I’m jumping on keys for one song. I’ve been playing the same guitar since I was 15 though, my Fender Telecaster. I can’t give it up. **F: You released _Indigo_ earlier this year. How does this project stand among the increasingly prolific Wild Nothing discography?** J: It’s hard to say what the context of this record is just yet or how I’ll feel about it as I continue to make music. In a lot of ways it’s been an attempt to get back to the core of what “Wild Nothing” sounds like. It’s intentionally a (hopefully) accessible record. To me it’s a pop record. I always look forward to making more music. I anticipate trying to skew things a bit stranger next time around, but as far as _Indigo_ is concerned it’s mostly a pop effort to be certain. Erika Reinsel ![Erika Reinsel](https://assets-global.website-files.com/62ee0bbe0c783a903ecc0ddb/6472b417e46cbfa3d9e7e2f4_Wild-Nothing-Reinsel-Flaunt8.jpeg) _Erika Reinsel_ **F: Wild Nothing is nearing ten years in existence. Would you say you’ve mastered your writing and recording process or were there surprises this time around?** J: I’ve at least reached a point where things are highly streamlined. Hard to say if that’s a negative or positive but I think the reality is that it’s both. There’s always surprises though. Always something new to learn or some other perspective and approach to the same problem. It’s why I always enjoy working with other people on the production and mixing process. **F: During the recording process for _Indigo_, did you experiment with any instrumentation outside of your ordinary arsenal?** J: Not really, there’s plenty of things we did for this record including strings and saxophone but I’ve dabbled in all that before. “Life Of Pause” is much more a record of trying to stuff as much variation in instrumentation as possible. **F: Indigo is the color of intuition and perception, opposing impulsivity. How do you think these connotations apply to your new record?** J: It’s kind of appropriate. I’m not an impulsive person. I’m a realist and I think part of that is informed by trying to be perceptive to things happening around me in my life. **F: The world has undergone vast changes since Wild Nothing’s inception, especially regarding music. How have you evolved to fit the shifting musical landscape? How has Wild Nothing changed from project to project?** J: I don’t know that I have to be honest! I think I just emerged at a time when things were different and I’ve somehow been able to maintain a fan base through everything changing. Ultimately I haven’t really changed what I do that much, not necessarily out of stubbornness. I’ve just never felt that I was interested or really even capable in changing trends within my own music. **F: Last remarks, anything you feel important to mention, or shout outs you want to make?** J: Shout out Highland Park, miss you. * * * Photographed by: [Nicole Busch](https://blog.nicolebusch.com) and [Erika Reinsel](http://www.erikareinselphotography.com) Interview by: Kyle Huewe