Interview WyndRider

In this interview, WyndRider dives into the creative journey behind their sophomore album Revival, their Southern Appalachian roots, and the challenges of life on tour.

1. Revival has been met with great acclaim. What was the creative process like for this album, and how did it differ from your debut?

Thank you so much! It’s been a wild ride. To be honest, we can't say we have a distinct creative process. We write riffs just sitting around together at practice and when one of them is really good, it sticks. Chloe’s lyrics come naturally once we have the instrumentals going. We never really set out to write a song necessarily, it just happens. 

2. Your music heavily draws from the Southern groove and the culture of the Appalachian Mountains. How do your surroundings influence your sound and lyrics?

We’ve all grown up in the mountains and there’s a lot to unpack about the area. The religious chokehold of being in Southern Appalachia, the addiction, poverty, and struggles of this region are all things we know well. There’s darkness to living here as well as beauty, and the music focuses on the darkness while the lyrics touch on these themes that we are so familiar with. 

3. You’ve been described as one of the hardest-working bands in the stoner doom community. What drives your work ethic, and how do you balance touring with creative time?

We work hard because we deeply enjoy what we do. This music is our passion and we want to be able to push it as far as it will go. As far as balancing shows with creative time, we probably have not mastered this yet. But, we fit in practices and jams as much as we possibly can. 

4. With your upcoming September tour, you’ll be hitting several new cities. What are you most looking forward to on this leg of the tour?

There’s a lot to look forward to in September. We just completed the first few dates with Valley of the Sun, and it was awesome to meet them and share the stage. We are excited to visit new cities like Buffalo and Pittsburgh with our friends in Silent Monolith (Nashville, TN). And, closing out the month with FuzzFest in Morgantown, WV will be the icing on the cake!

5. You’ve shared the stage with some big names in the doom community, like at the Maryland Doom Fest. How have these experiences shaped the band?

Maryland Doom Fest was amazing. Opportunities to be a part of events like that make all of the hard work feel so worth it. We definitely feel that all the shows this summer have given us the ability to really tighten up our sound. We have gotten really comfortable with the travel and the music itself. And, we really appreciative of the folks (like JB with MDDF, David with Holler of Doom, and so many others) that have given us a chance to do what we love in such awesome settings and with other killer bands. 

6. The themes in Revival touch on the realities of life in the Bible Belt. Can you talk about how these themes emerged and what message you hope to convey through your music?

It would be a lie to say that we set out to make this album what it became. As we said, we don’t really have a distinct process when writing. It’s like the songs formed themselves and the themes came along with it. A lot of the same themes can be found in the WyndRider album and carried over on this one. Cultural influences and your upbringing have a heavy hand in shaping who you are. For us, it’s a misunderstood region with all of its issues. It’s easy to write about. 

7. The production on Revival is notably sharp and refined. How did working with The Wizard Productions contribute to the album’s final sound?

Danielle Fehr at The Wizard Productions recorded, mixed, and mastered both WyndRider and Revival. She is excellent. She really understands the atmosphere of what we try to do, and these albums totally wouldn’t have been the same without her. Danielle really takes the time to listen to the vision when she’s working with the band and suggests a lot of awesome detail in the mix/master process that contributes to the final sound. It’s a much more hands-on approach then simply pressing “record,” and we love her for it. 

8. Your sophomore record was released through Electric Valley Records with various vinyl editions. What’s the importance of physical media for WyndRider, and how has the response been from your fans?

Physical media is definitely important. Music like ours will always sound better on vinyl. We sort of set the bar for ourselves with the WyndRider album, self-releasing and keeping LPs and CDs in stock so we could be fully available to people who wanted to support our music. We want to continue this pattern and we are really grateful for Electric Valley Records and the awesome work they’ve done, helping us get the Revival LPs as well as promotion from Qabar PR. The response seems to be really positive and we are so thankful. 

9. As a band formed in 2022, you’ve quickly gained a significant following. What challenges have you faced during this rapid rise, and how have you overcome them?

Bands that travel as much as we do probably all face similar challenges. Whether its worrying about finances, our health, managing personal lives vs band activity, it’s a lot. Probably our biggest challenge has simply been with lineup changes. Our first drummer, Richard Bucher, stepped down shortly after the release of our first album due to schedule conflicts, and unfortunately we are about to say goodbye to our current drummer, Josh Brock, as well. They have both been so awesome and we absolutely wish them the best. The schedule we keep is definitely not for the faint of heart. 

10. Looking ahead, what’s next for WyndRider after this tour? Are there any plans for new music or projects in the near future?

After we finish out our shows for the year, we will likely hunker down for the winter. We are currently looking at options for a new drummer and we would love to keep writing. We are looking forward to some time to relax and spend with our families. But don’t worry, we are rolling right along and it remains to be seen where we will go from here!

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