“I heard that it doesn’t smell like trash in Philadelphia anymore,” says Nathan Williams, vocalist, guitarist, and founder of San Diego alternative rockers Wavves, before expressing his solidarity with the until-recently-striking union: “Power to the people!” However, I hear a collective, “Ohhhh,” from the entirety of the band when I tell them that it will actually be Monday, the day after the band returns to Underground Arts on July 13th, that the city’s trash will actually be picked up. However, during our Thursday phone chat, Nathan says that that’s totally fine with him: “I fucking love Philadelphia. I don’t care if it smells like garbage… I love Angelo’s! I’m gonna go back to Angelo’s; hopefully they don’t run out of bread this time.”
Wavves are currently touring behind their ninth studio album, Spun, the 77th release but first Wavves full-length since 2017’s You’re Welcome for Ghost Ramp, Williams’ own label. The album – featuring the Travis Barker-produced “Way Down” and “Lucky Stars,” the LP’s fourth and final single, co-penned by longtime bassist Stephen Pope — dropped on June 27th, three days after the band hit the road and less than three months since Williams had back surgery… another of which he tells me he’s having between the July 25th wrap of the North American tour and Wavves’ February 2026 dates in the UK and Europe. Joining Wavves are surf punks and phriends of PHILTHY Beach Goons (who we met in September 2021), who are providing direct support, and indie rockers Chokecherry, who we saw opening Union Transfer for our buddies Destroy Boys and SASAMI last November, who open, both of whom Nathan is a big fan of: “I love both the bands, I want to marry them.”
The last time Wavves were at Underground Arts was August of 2022, when the band were celebrating the 12 year anniversary of their third full-length, King of the Beach, which turned 15 this month (The original tour behind the album had the group opening Tower Theater for Phoenix and playing an exceptionally memorable show at Starlight Ballroom, where they lovingly hurled beach balls at the audience for much of the set.) And Williams tells me that he and the band are more than happy to be back in the Eraserhood basement: “The last time we played Underground Arts people threw some bras at me, and that was fantastic! I wore a Jamiroqaui hat, a Kangol hat…”
Like King of the Beach, Y-Not Radio (the home of Philthy Radio) turns 15 this month. And for the next edition of Philthy Radio, 9-11pm 7/18 on Y-Not Radio, I’ll be celebrating much of the best music of 2010, including a particularly great track from Wavves’ third LP, which remains a staple of their setlist. I ask Nathan how he feels about the album a decade-and-a-half on, and he tells me, “I’m just glad that people still like it,” although he does admit that the sessions had at least one piece of drama: “The guy that recorded it tried to kick out our drummer, Billy… We had to stop the recording process and tell him we weren’t going to add Josh Freese to the band.”
*Get your tickets here.
**Listen for a Wavves classic on the next edition of Philthy Radio, 7/18 (9-11pm ET) on Y-Not Radio.
