Jack Tatum has readied Hold, his first album as Wild Nothing in five years. The record arrives October 27th via Captured Tracks, and along with it comes a North American tour slated for this fall. Additionally, Wild Nothing has shared the new song “Headlights On” featuring Hatchie, which you can listen to below.
Self-produced by Tatum and mixed by Geoff Swan (Caroline Polachek, Charli XCX), Hold features contributions from Molly Burch, Becca Mancari, Tommy Davidson of Beach Fossils, Hatchie, and Tatum’s his wife, Dana. A press release describes the record as more electronic and dance-inspired than Wild Nothing’s previous releases, and the artist spoke anxiously about releasing it (and finally following 2018’s Indigo) in a statement.
“I’ve sat with this record for a very long time now, so naturally I’m both excited and apprehensive to let it see the light,” Tatum said. “It’s my first record as a father. My first self-produced record since my debut. It’s a record that deals in existential themes but doesn’t always take itself too seriously. It’s not afraid of pop but it’s hopefully not afraid to be strange either. It has fun, gets sad, dwells in the quiet moments and embraces the loud ones. It’s me doing what I love and feeling grateful for it.”
New track “Headlights On” tips us off to Tatum’s new electronic influences with metallic percussion and synths. With Hatchie’s Harriette Pilbeam providing backing vocals, the duo offer a darkwave pop song as Tatum kicks into the 0therwise-melodic chorus with the line, “I don’t know how to be subtle with all the things I hate about myself.”
“This track was incredibly cathartic for me,” Wild Nothing said of “Headlights On.” “It’s a song about your relationship reaching its most brittle moment and still trying to find even the smallest open window that can lead you back to that person. Musically I was drawn towards something that felt very body centric and could help get me out of my own repetitive thought patterns. It’s a propulsive and hopeful track that’s meant to act as a release valve, but the somberness that inspired the song remains intact.”
Pre-orders for Hold are ongoing. In November, Wild Nothing will celebrate his new album with a brief North American tour that includes stops in Washington, DC, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Tickets go on sale Friday, August 18th via Ticketmaster.
Wild Nothing’s last release was the 2020 EP Laughing Gas.
Hold Artwork:
Hold Tracklist:
01. Headlights On
02. Basement El Dorado
03. The Bodybuilder
04. Suburban Solutions
05. Presidio
06. Dial Tone
07. Histrion
08. Prima
09. Alex
10. Little Chaos
11. Pulling Down the Moon (Before You)
Wild Nothing 2023 Tour Dates:
11/09 — Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
11/10 — Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live
11/11 — Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
11/12 — Norfolk, VA @ The NorVA
11/14 — Los Angeles, CA @ Fonda Theatre
11/15 — San Francisco, CA @ Independent
11/17 — San Diego, CA @ Quartyard
11/18 — Santa Ana, CA @ Observatory
11/20 — Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
