Today sees the release of Sonder, the sophomore LP from pop rock troubadours The Wrecks (along with the music video for the album’s title track) and the catchiest and most pogo-able breakup album of the year, which vocalist/producer Nick Anderson tells me is the most potent batch of songs of the band’s career during a recent phone chat: “The majority of the record – 9 of 11 songs – were written since this past September, because I went through a breakup in August… I had something to say, and it was very authentic and immediate. There were so many emotions to work through and so many things to say, so it came more quickly than previous releases.” And while The Wrecks are regularly lumped into the “pop punk” category, Anderson tells me that he likes to think his approach to breakup anthems is a little different from those that he grows up with, which he now admits to seeing as at least a bit problematic.
“I definitely grew up on the emo/pop punk thing. A lot of it was angsty. I realized when I got older that a lot of my favorite pop punk songs have themes of pettiness and resentment and even misogyny, but as a kid I was like, ‘Yeah, fuck that girl!’”
The Wrecks previously released three singles from Sonder (which touch on a plethora of elements from the alternative rock and indie pop spectrums) and announced a US tour (which kicked off last night in Fresno and features a July 10th stop at The TLA), which Anderson tells me have earned the band the best responses they’ve gotten yet.
“When we announced this upcoming tour, it sold more tickets in the first seven hours than we did on our entire last headlining tour. We finally had one of those whiplash moments. We’re seeing the new singles off this record do better quicker than on previous releases. Any time you can see all the hard work in front of you is nice.”
Perhaps the album’s most standout track is third single and sad summertime jam “Where Are You Now?” which features girlhouse (Lauren Luiz), who is joining The Wrecks as immediate support on this month-and-a-half run of dates, which Anderson tells me he’s super excited about: “Aaron [Kelly, bassist] and I are massive girlhouse fans. He found her first, I think through Spotify, her song ‘Fatalist.’” He also tells me that when she joined The Wrecks in the studio for her part on “Where Are You Now?” it felt like it was meant to be: “It was perfect. It was literally perfect.”
In addition to their latest album, Anderson tells me that, for many, this tour will provide the live debut of their first full-length, Infinitely Ordinary, which dropped in May of 2020.
“It’s gonna be our first full US tour since putting out our first record. It’s a pretty packed setlist. A lot of our fans have been hearing these songs for two years without getting a chance to see them live… It’s gonna be a long set with lots of energy.”
When I ask Anderson what the future holds for The Wrecks, he tells me that this tour will likely just be the first of many in support of Sonder, which he’s hoping gets The Wrecks in the eyes and ears of as many people as possible.
“We’ll probably hit the road again, hit a round two. We have a fanbase that will come back a few months later… Hopefully we’ll be able to come back again in the late fall or winter. And, maybe I’m getting ahead of myself, but maybe we’ll have a deluxe version of the record and maybe some remixes around that time. That’s kind of what you do during the album cycle… We’re gonna keep our foot on the pedal for the next like three years and really give this music the opportunities it deserves.”
*Get your tickets here.
