Trendsetter welcomes Alt-Rockers The Wrecks to the 2018 roster as they give a sneak peak of life on and off the stage in their latest video “James Dean” off their EP Panic Vertigo.
Watch the video here
Los Angeles alternative rock band The Wrecks—Nick Anderson [vocals, guitar], Aaron Kelley [bass], Nick Schmidt [guitar, vocals], Westen Weiss [guitar, keys], and Billy Nally [drums]—have released the high energy video for “James Dean” shot at their biggest live show to date.
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As the story goes, Anderson’s friend was house-sitting for a professional music producer. So, the boys had a three-day window to record in this space for free. Inspired by everything from The Pixies and The Strokes to Weezer and Vampire Weekend, they snuck in and out, cut a handful of tracks steeped in stories of wild nights and too much partying, put everything back as if nothing happened, and cleaned up all of the Dominos boxes, minus a crumb or two.
The recovered contents included the 2016 breakout single “Favorite Liar.” Not only did the track score over 9.6 million Spotify streams, but it also landed on coveted playlists such as It’s Alt Good, Digging Now, Feelgood Indie, Indie Radar, Punk Unleashed, and more as the group averaged 208K monthly listeners. Additionally, the music video cracked 1 million cumulative views, while “Favorite Liar” soared to #5 on Sirius/XM Alt Nation.
Along the way, they made the jump from playing wild house parties to finally headlining theaters between tours with the likes of Nothing But Thieves, The Hunna, Night Riots, and SWMRS. As the profile rose independently, they landed a deal with RED MUSIC, and earned acclaim courtesy of KROQ, Popdust, and more.
Like any good story though, it deserved a proper sequel. Following this rise, they recorded their 2018 second EP, Panic Vertigo. Despite bumps in the road, the band had no problem ditching a high-profile producer to do things on their own terms…
“It was as crazy as the first time,” laughs Anderson. “We really enjoyed that process of just making it up as we went along. It worked before, and it inspired us again. It was just a bunch of friends creating art.”
That process paid off once more. They preserve a reckless abandon and aren’t afraid to speak their minds or get candid about sex and drugs with a whole lot of rock ‘n’ roll energy. Maintaining the high-speed drama, unpredictable rhythms, and unshakable hooks fans fell in love with, they amplified the cleverness and catchiness all-around.
Robust guitars swing and shake on the band’s single “James Dean,” proving as Anderson says, “Guitars aren’t the enemy; bad songs are.”
In the end, The Wrecks’ story just keeps getting better, along with the music.
“We’re continuing to grow,” Anderson leaves off. “We worked really hard and put ourselves out there on this one. Not one song sounds the same. I hope everyone has a different favorite.”