Wanderwild started as the project of singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Matt Martin. Hailed as an Athens, GA “music veteran,” Matt is the product of years of collaboration, recording, and live performance with nearly a dozen different (COIN, Faye Webster, Shane T and more!). He balances pop songwriting with indie rock sensibilities, and uses Wanderwild as a vehicle to chase his love for both songwriting and production. Recently, Matt has solidified his lineup that features Taylor Cotton, Reagan Byrd, Alec Stanley and Wes Gregory. Focusing more on collaboration as a full unit, the band is currently supporting 2019’s “Sleep Tight, Socialite” and a string of new singles including “Doorway” and 2020’s “In Repeat”.
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Glide is premiering Wanderwild’s new single “Don’t Break My Heart”. The dreamy pop ballad opens with the band members harmonizing in a choir-like fashion as they plead the chorus “Don’t Break My Heart”. Accompanied by mellow guitar, front man Matt Martin does his best slacker R&B vocals while the band accompanies him with a sensual yet playful groove. The addition of pedal steel gives the song a sort of cosmic twang that juxtaposes nicely with the pop sound, marking a nice departure from the band’s previous material.
Frontman Matt Martin, who also serves as the band’s producer and engineer, shares his own thoughts on the inspiration behind the song:
“‘Don’t Break My Heart’ is intentionally on the nose. After producing and recording the song ‘Kingston’ with Faye Webster, I wanted to see if Wanderwild could capture a similar magic through our own lens. Reagan (Byrd keys/guitar/background vox) showed up with the main chorus lyric and melody, and off we went. It’s a bit Beach Boys, a bit bedroom pop, and it’s our first song to feature pedal steel and an acoustic guitar solo. We hope it’s a pleasant surprise and change of pace from the rest of our recent releases.”
LISTEN:
Photo credit: Sam Johnson
