Wilderado In Concert
Indie rockers Wilderado blend elements of their Southern roots with touches of sunny California dreamin'. This sound very much reflects the band's own evolution: Its members grew up in Oklahoma and Texas, then cut their teeth in Los Angeles, before moving back closer to home. But it was their time on the West Coast that helped establish Wilderado's soaring, muscular indie rock.
The group originally released a handful of singles under the name Bird Dog before dropping their debut EP ‘Misty Shrub' in early 2016. The EP runs on steady, propulsive rhythms, moody acoustic licks, and rich harmonies reminiscent of bands like Band of Horses, Fleet Foxes, and Kings of Leon. But soon, after performing shows in Brooklyn, they were forced to change their name (by request of another Bird Dog band). The first day back on tour is when inspiration struck: Driving late at night, they passed through a small Texas town called Wildorado. They decided to swap the "o" out and became Wilderado. With a new name, the band soon slimmed down from a quintet to a quartet and unveiled their new moniker with a second EP, ‘Latigo,' recorded in their own home studio in Malibu. The four-song set further highlights their emotive, folk-tinged rock with anthemic tracks like "Morning Light."
Lead singer/guitarist Max Rainer, bassist/vocalist Colton Dearing, guitarist/vocalist Tyler Wimpee, and drummer Justin Kila would eventually take this sound on the road, grabbing key slots at major festivals like Bonnaroo and Austin City Limits. During this time, they'd work on solidifying their next EP, ‘Favors,' with producer Phil Ek (Father John Misty, Fleet Foxes, The Shins), giving their anthemic rock some punches of Americana twang and Laurel Canyon mysticism. In the process, they'd settle back in their homebase of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and head back on the road in 2018 alongside art-pop quartet Sure Sure.
