There is an authenticity to Longtime Friend, the New West Records debut from siblings Aila and Elisha Wildman, that simply cannot be faked. Raised in the tiny Virginia town of Floyd (population of less than 500 based on the last census), Elisha learned guitar and mandolin as a kid, while Aila opted for the fiddle before they were teenagers. As soon as they scraped together a set list, they started playing gigs locally as the Blackberries with their mom on bass at the time. The two eventually left for Boston’s famed Berklee School of Music and self-released their debut along the way. And while the screenwriter for A Complete Unknown could not have scripted a better backstory for a modern indie folk and Americana band, Longtime Friend is all the proof you need that The Wildmans are an incredibly talented duo.
From the first two tracks, “Take Me” and “Sometimes,” both originals, there is no doubt they were destined for an audience way beyond Greater Appalachia. Longtime Friend is a mix of originals from the siblings, a handful of covers, and several traditional instrumentals. And while the instrumentals allow them to flex their musical prowess and the covers are solid, it’s the originals on the album that really impress, especially the searing title track.
That being said, their takes on Gram Parsons’ “Hot Burrito #2” and “Luxury Liner” are impressively original, paying homage to their longtime hero while making the songs their own. It’s hard not to think of Parsons and his longtime collaborator Emmylou Harris when listening to most of the songs on this record, as The Wildmans harmonize beautifully throughout the record.
Five years ago their put out a nine song record on their own and as solid as that collection is (including a stellar version of Bob Dylan’s “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go”), the musical growth from the two over the last five years, combined with the guidance of producer Nicholas Falk on this one, makes for a truly gorgeous collection of songs.
“It feels like we’ve been building up to this, taking our time and setting all the pieces in line,” Elisha says. “… we’ve naturally progressed under the indie-folk umbrella, but we still are doing old-time tunes, where we’ve realized it’s an important aspect of our musicianship, which ties us to our roots and how we grew up.”
