Formed in Blacksburg, Virginia by Jack Tatum, Wild Nothing conjures up indie pop dreams with allusions to The Cure and more recently vinted bands like The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. Like bands of that nature, a thumping bass line propels their songs forward while wistful vocals float above tight, hooky melodies.
This year, they followed-up their two previous LPs — Gemini (2010) and Nocturne (2012) — with an EP entitled, Empty Estate. While Tatum pens the songs himself, Wild Nothing tours as a five-piece, adding an interpretative element to his mid-tempo compositions. While they are loved by the indie rock kids with neat, retro-styled appearances (that may or may not include horn-rimmed glasses), they possess a broader appeal than to just that idiosyncratic audience.
This version of “Shadow” was performed live for Seattle radio station KEXP in late 2012 at CMJ. Amongst other shows, they play Washington, D.C. this weekend before heading to Chicago for Lollapalooza via Buffalo and Cleveland.
