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Wanderlust releases First Band in Spencr
Sophistipop Quintet Moves closer to Alternative
Sulari, Duchy of Suldanor
Februray 20, 5630


Wanderlust shows off Kalistani Influences on new Album

The Davostag Expat Quintet Wanderlust, who made their mark in Kalistan's recent music scene, have released their third studio album that they have called The First Band in Spencer on ARC-Sulari.  This record shows far more of a lean into alternative, a direction begun on their previous record. 

"Its weird to say that we wanted to try something new by making alternative rock in Kalistan," said Elga Nilsson, Wanderlust's front woman.  "Just different for us.  After we released Exile [in Paradise] we were doing a lot with the local Sulari musicians, going on tour and just really writing.  Their music influenced the sound of this album, certainly."

Most of the instrumentation is standard guitars and drums that one would hear in most Kalistani bands.  There was some orchestral arrangements, but the album showed a clear evolution for the band.  "It's not so much that we have abandoned the sophistipop," said Nilsson.  "But more like it really took a lot of work to get into the studio and record that kind of music, when what we really wanted to do was to record more of a straightforward rock album."

There are a couple sophistipop entries on the record, which maintain some of the lounge feelings of the earlier records.  But they are more like echoes.  "We do not want to be known to do just one style of music:  The first two albums, we are quite proud of them, certainly, but we have also come to enjoy a lot of the more local music scenes we have been exposed to as well."  Many of the tracks adopt lite psychedelic production effects as well, which Nilsson attributed to Peer Markinsson and Thomas Lingholm's "discovery" of psychedelic chemicals.

"I think at least some of that went into our direction with this record.  This is a recent development, but who plays music in Kalistan and completely abstains?  It has definitely given us a new perspective, and I would say Peer and Lindy most of all."  Nilsson added with a giggle, "I don't think we were straight when we did the original video [for the first single "Who Could Ask Me For More"].  The label actually rejected the video, and we had to re-record the video, but since we wasted the whole budget on the first version, we had to more or less record live in M7 Studios during their afternoon call-in show--We had to do two takes and one outfit change to make it look dynamic, but the kids were really tolerant and went along with it.  Then that was the version the label released.  Thank god for M7."

The band once again teamed up with ARC producer Peter Zellig, who produced the first two albums by the band.  "But we also produced much of this record ourselves," said Nilsson who, along with the rest of the band, also received production credits for the record.  "I think Pete has an idea of what he wants to do, but sometimes it is difficult for us to communicate to him what we want to do, and so we had to occasionally push him out of the booth and make these decisions ourselves."  The result is a grittier, more fundamental, and much less poppy than their earlier albums.

"Who knows what the next album will sound like?" asked Nilsson rhetorically.  "We could do thrash:  I know several of the guys would like that, but I cannot say that I can sing that.  Or we could do an electronic record.  I think this is the one I would choose.  What I know is this record is Peer's and it really feels like we went back to basics."

You can check out the entire album The First Band in Spencer produced at ARC Studios in Sulari, right here, and see the album's first single "Who could ask for More" below.

[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTLjfV0HMwg]

@KalistaniRawkMonthly