When many unknown bands arrive in America from England, they find themselves in a bustling bar, playing in front of about 12 people who only half pay attention to them. The floors are sticky, in NYC subway bathrooms it's like Buckingham Palace and they have their own merchandise counter. But when Wild Things debuted last spring, they took to the stage at Madison Square Garden.
"This is a to-do list for everyone," said Sydney singer Rae White. “My father wrote me a letter at three in the morning, our time. He says. "How? Oh my God, if only I was. I said. 'Sorry, dad.'
The big night of The Wild Things was a true event made possible by Pete Townshend, the band's unofficial godfather, who opened many doors for them, from producing and playing their new album Afterglow (next year) to supporting. at the Who concert in Las Vegas on November 4 and 5.
At The Garden, they captivated Who fans with their catchy riffs, powerful melodies, and White's stage performances. With blonde hair, burgundy jumpsuit, and glam rock makeup, she looks like a magical combination of Ziggy Stardust and Tinker Bell. He did not hesitate to restart the "Heaven" parade after experiencing technical difficulties. "I don't want half measures," he said. "If we have to put on a show, we will, pardon my French, asshole!"
At the end of their set, the band promised everyone in the arena free admission to their show at the much smaller Mercury Lounge the following night. "I'm not too worried about the money on this tour," said guitarist Rob Kendrick, who is also White's husband. “If you take $50 for two shirts, I won't do it. If I can change it for some people to get more music, that's great."
The plan worked. The following night countless men wore Quadrophenia t-shirts, beers and marveled at the performance of this young band proving that rock music is still relevant. "Rock is having a revival," said White. "I just looked yesterday to see that people still want to do this."
Townshend agreed in a phone call a few weeks later. “Suddenly, there were a lot of serious rock bands, and I would rate them that way. They have something special, and they are perfect for the moment.
Hours before the Mercury Lounge show, White and Kendrick sat at a rowdy table at Katz's Deli. It was his first time in high school in New York, and 36-year-old Kendrick was practically foaming at the mouth when he ordered a pastrami sandwich. White politely declined, explaining that he had been a vegan for about five years. On top of her bright orange overalls was a grocery bag filled with pineapple, baby carrots, and hummus.
“Our guitar technology has been vegan for eight years,” says Kendrick. "He immediately came to New York and started eating pizza."
This ironic British humor seeps into the music of Wild Things. "My Heart Is in New York," which premiered at the Garden, may sound like a love ballad, but it was actually written after White's brother, producer/bassist Cam White, suggested Kendrick write a song for him. .
The song pairs White's strong vocals with abandoned guitars, but the lyrics are also a joke within the band. “At the end of every half episode, the main character dies,” Kendrick says proudly. “I thought it was a really funny idea that every time they started singing, they died for some reason. Pete spoke. "What happened to you?"
Townsend's connection with nature is deep. White and Kendrick first met after lead guitarist The Who included them in the 2009 British production of Quadrophenia , with Kendrick as Jim and White as his girlfriend. "This is Cupid's story," Townsend said. "I witnessed the moment Rob and Sid fell in love right on stage during rehearsal."
White and Kendrick began their careers as actors. White appeared on the Disney British series As the Bell Rings ("She's a lot like Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears and the guys who grew up on children's TV shows," notes Townsend), and Kendrick is currently a songwriter. First. Bridgerton season . “I told the makeup artist. "I don't know if I'll be back next season, so give me as much hair as you can," joked Kendrick. "Because if I became a meme, they would probably bring me back."
After the musical, the pair formed Wild Things with Cam on bass and Pete Wheeler on drums. White and Kendrick kept in touch with Townsend, so they sent him a thick letter with their music. “He was very honest, and I thank God for that,” White recalls. "He said. 'It's not good, guys. It's not good.'''' he
The band then performed Townshend's songs, culminating in their 2018 debut album You're Really Something , and their reactions were very encouraging. "He really liked it," White said. "He sat down and said: I think you still have room to grow." We were younger and more stubborn, saying, "We think this is the best album of all time." Add Townshend. "If they suffer from something, it's because of self-confidence."
THE LAST 2019 brought four new songs to Townsend, this time inviting them to their home studio to record what would become Afterglow. They spent five days at Ashdown House in Oxfordshire where Townshend analyzed each of their songs. "It's interesting to watch," White said. “He has an esoteric mind. This can be very intimidating. If you expect such greatness, I think you have the wrong idea about it. And I hope if he hears all this, he won't slap me for it. But he's just a genius."
However, Townsend took a humble stance, saying he had little involvement in the process; "All I had to do was pat him on the head and make some changes," he said. “I never liked being a producer. I've never worked with a producer in my entire career so I can put my hand on my heart and say, "That was fun." So I tried to make it as fun as possible, and the music played at a good level."
Working with the rock legend, who wrote many concept albums, gave them the idea to create their own album. Afterglow takes place one night in the fictional city of Valentine, where each of the 11 tracks tells a different story. “You can take each song as it is, like a singularity, at face value, or you can completely immerse yourself in this world we have created,” White said.
White and Kendrick knew that a concept album could sound pretentious, but saw it as an extension of their performance. "I think there might be a stigma behind a new band making a concept album," said White. "Ugh, who do they think they are, Radiohead?" It just so happens that we actors are always immersed in such stories. It seemed like a natural progression."
They wanted to take the concept album further by adapting it into a TV show, which Townsend likened to the musical version of Schitt's Creek . (The band even convinced him to introduce them to Cameron Crowe, hoping he'd be an executive producer.) But for now, they're focused on their upcoming shows, including the October 28 Kiss cruise and the opening act for The Who. In Las Vegas. I hope their English talent will help them sign a record deal. "If any of this sounds terrible," said Kendrick, "get rid of it."
