Embracing the best elements of both indie-pop and folk, Fredericksburg, VA’s Wylder produces a tapestry in which every hook and melody are interdependent. With instrumentals driven by acoustic guitar, piano and mandolin, Wylder instills clever violin lines and lush harmonies that resonate behind clear and memorable melodies, similar to artists such as Death Cab For Cutie, Andrew McMahon, and The Shins.
Their debut album Rain and Laura due out April 8, 2016, through an eclectic mix of stormy orchestral movements and fun, infectious energy, Rain and Laura evokes emotional peaks, where lyrics of love and loss take center stage.
The beginnings of what would eventually become Wylder took root in late 2011 during a chance meeting on the campus of the University of Mary Washington. Will McCarry (vocals, guitar) was playing guitar out on Campus Walk when Russell Michelson (piano) passed by with a melodica under his arm. Without a word, he approached Will and started playing along. From there — for reasons that escape them now — the duo decided to start working on a few songs together in Russell’s dorm room. They brought together a few of their friends and gradually gained popularity on campus and in the Fredericksburg area under the moniker “Save the Arcadian”. Working off of this momentum, the group expanded to Washington, D.C. and parts of Virginia.
In summer 2014, they started writing the songs that would become their debut album. They also began touring the East Coast and opening for national acts visiting the D.C. area such as Vanessa Carlton, Jukebox the Ghost, and the Rhett Walker Band. After graduating college, the band moved into a house together and is now on the cusp of becoming one of D.C.’s most prominent bands. With the release of their debut album in April 2016, Wylder is an emerging voice in the independent music scene.
Wylder is now playing on TMN Radio.