Wednesday (American band)

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Wednesday
Karly Hartzman from the group Wednesday looks at her electric guitar while playing.
Hartzman playing with Wednesday in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2023
Background information
OriginAsheville, North Carolina, U.S.
Genres
Years active2017–present
Labels
Members
  • Karly Hartzman
  • Jake Lenderman
  • Xandy Chelmis
  • Ethan Baechtold
  • Alan Miller
Past members
  • Margo Schultz
  • Daniel Gorham
Websitewww.wednesday.band

Wednesday is an American alternative rock band from Asheville, North Carolina, currently signed to Dead Oceans. The band consists of vocalist Karly Hartzman, guitarist Jake Lenderman (aka MJ Lenderman), lap steel player Xandy Chelmis, drummer Alan Miller and bassist Ethan Baechtold. The band's style has been described as a mixture of shoegaze and country rock, while their lyrical content has been praised for its storytelling about life in the American south.

Wednesday was formed in 2017 as a solo project of Karly Hartzman. The band added Lenderman, Chelmis, and Miller to the lineup in 2020. The band's second studio album, I Was Trying to Describe You to Someone, was released in 2020 to positive reviews, followed by Twin Plagues in 2021. The band released a covers album titled Mowing the Leaves Instead of Piling 'em Up in 2022. Months after the album's release, the band left its label and signed with Dead Oceans. In 2023, Wednesday released its fifth studio album, Rat Saw God.

Career[edit]

Hartzman was inspired to start playing guitar after watching Mitski's NPR Tiny Desk concert. Wednesday initially began as a solo project of Harztman's.[4] Hartzman attended college in Asheville, where she met Daniel Gorham. The two recorded an album together under the moniker Wednesday titled yep definitely.[5] The band's name was inspired by the British band The Sundays.[6] In 2017, Hartzman met Lenderman after he slept over at Hartzman's family home after a show. Lenderman would join Wednesday in 2018 for an EP called How Do You Let Love Into the Heart That Isn’t Split Wide Open.[7]

Hartzman formed another band called Diva Sweetly, alongside members of the band Pictures of Vernon, which released an album in 2019.[5] However, Hartzman was interested in making music that was closer to shoegaze, a departure from the style of Diva Sweetly. After Gorham left the band to work on other musical projects, Hartzman gathered new members from the local music scene in Asheville to join Wednesday. The group released their second album, titled I Was Trying to Describe You to Someone in 2020.[8][5] The group released their third record, Twin Plagues, on August 13, 2021. Twin Plagues is the first Wednesday album with Lenderman as a full member of the band.[9][10][7]

On March 11, 2022, the band released a covers album titled Mowing the Leaves Instead of Piling 'em Up, featuring cover versions of songs by Gary Stewart, Chris Bell, Roger Miller, Drive-By Truckers, Hotline TNT, Greg Sage, Vic Chesnutt, Medicine and The Smashing Pumpkins.[11][12] On September 8, 2022, the band left Orindal Records and signed to Dead Oceans, releasing the single "Bull Believer".[13] On January 18, 2023, the band released the single "Chosen to Deserve" and announced a fifth album, Rat Saw God, which was released on April 7, 2023.[14]

The band performed at the Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona on June 4, 2023, where the band, playing on the Amazon Music stage, went on an anti-Amazon speech prior to "Bull Believer" and dedicated the song to "any warehouse workers who have ever been mistreated."[15]

The group Wednesday performing in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Hartzman is singing, and Baechtold is playing bass guitar.
Hartzman and Baechtold playing with Wednesday in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2023.

Jake Lenderman also releases solo music under the name MJ Lenderman. His third solo album Boat Songs was released in 2022.[16]

Musical style & influences[edit]

Wednesday's sound has been described as country, shoegaze, and indie or alternative rock.[7][17] Hartzman said her first formative record was Reading, Writing and Arithmetic by The Sundays. After discovering the shoegaze band Swirlies, she knew she wanted to "combine The Sundays’ vocals with [Swirlies'] music and country lyrics."[18]

The band's music contains semi-autobiographical details about Hartzman's past life experiences in Greensboro. Some songs mix minor details in the environment with darker tales of drug abuse. Hartzman credits the alt-country band Drive-By Truckers as a songwriting influence, mentioning the band in the song "Bath County". According to The Ringer, the band was also influenced by "country storytellers" like Lucinda Williams and Richard Buckner.[7][17] Hartzman cites Lenderman himself as an influence, having been a fan of his solo work under the name MJ Lenderman before the two met. The pair started dating around the time of Twin Plagues, and several Wednesday songs have since made reference to their relationship.[7]

Band members[edit]

Current members

  • Karly Hartzman – vocals, guitar (2017–present)
  • Jake Lenderman – guitar, vocals (2020–present)
  • Xandy Chelmis – lap steel (2020–present)
  • Ethan Baechtold – bass guitar (2023–present)
  • Alan Miller - drums (2017–present)

Former members

  • Daniel Gorham – bass guitar (2017–2019)
  • Margo Schultz – bass guitar (2020–2022)[19]

Discography[edit]

Studio albums[edit]

Title Details
Yep Definitely
  • Released: January 31, 2018
  • Label: Self-released
I Was Trying to Describe You to Someone
  • Released: February 7, 2020
  • Label: Orindal Records
Twin Plagues
  • Released: August 13, 2021
  • Label: Orindal Records
Mowing the Leaves Instead of Piling 'Em Up
  • Released: March 11, 2022
  • Label: Orindal Records
Rat Saw God
  • Released: April 7, 2023
  • Label: Dead Oceans

Live albums[edit]

Title Details
Wednesday on Audiotree Live
  • Released: September 21, 2021
  • Label: Audiotree

Extended plays[edit]

Title Details
How Do You Let the Love Into the Heart That Isn't Split Wide Open (with MJ Lenderman)
  • Released: December 13, 2018
  • Label: Sub-Fi
Wednesday
  • Released: May 20, 2019
  • Label: Manic Static
Guttering (with MJ Lenderman)[20]
  • Released: January 22, 2021
  • Label: Super Enema

Singles[edit]

Title Year Album
"Fate Is" / "Billboard"[21] 2019 I Was Trying to Describe You to Someone
"November"[22] 2020
"Handsome Man"[23] 2021 Twin Plagues
"Cody's Only"[24]
"One More Last One"[25]
"How Can You Live If You Can't Love How Can You If You Do"[26]
"She's Actin' Single (I'm Drinkin' Doubles)"[27] 2022 Mowing the Leaves Instead of Piling 'em Up
"Feast of Snakes"[28] Non-album single
"Bull Believer"[29] Rat Saw God
"Chosen to Deserve"[30] 2023

References[edit]

  1. ^ Liu, Kelley. "Wednesday: Twin Plagues". Pitchfork. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  2. ^ Hughes, Mia (13 February 2023). "Wednesday: fearless gang behind one of the year's defining rock albums". NME. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b Sodomsky, Sam. "Wednesday: Rat Saw God". Pitchfork. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  4. ^ McDermott, Patrick D. (September 6, 2022). "Wednesday in Athens". Oxford American. No. 118. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c Manno, Lizzie. "Wednesday: The Best of What's Next". Paste. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  6. ^ "Singles Club: March • Off Shelf". Off Shelf. 2020-04-07. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
  7. ^ a b c d e "Wednesday's Curdled Beauty". Pitchfork. 2023-01-25. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
  8. ^ Moura, Rob (19 February 2020). "Wednesday - "I Was Trying To Describe You To Someone" Album Review". Post-Trash. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  9. ^ Jones, Abby (13 August 2021). "Wednesday Share New Album Twin Plagues: Stream". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  10. ^ Liu, Kelly. "Wednesday: Twin Plagues". Pitchfork. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  11. ^ DeVille, Chris (March 11, 2022). "Hear Wednesday Cover Smashing Pumpkins, Vic Chesnutt, Medicine, & More On Their Rad New Covers Album". Stereogum. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  12. ^ Curto, Justin (2023-04-07). "Wednesday Can Find a Song Anywhere". Vulture. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  13. ^ Moreland, Quinn (September 8, 2022). "Wednesday Sign to Dead Oceans, Share New Song "Bull Believer": Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  14. ^ Strauss, Matthew (January 18, 2023). "Wednesday Announce Tour and New Album, Share "Chosen to Deserve" Video: Watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  15. ^ Williams, Sophie (2023-06-06). "Primavera Sound Barcelona 2023 review: a comeback worth shouting about". NME. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  16. ^ "Boat Songs, by MJ Lenderman". MJ Lenderman. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  17. ^ a b Cohen, Ian (2023-04-05). "Wednesday's Teenage Dirtbag Hymnals". The Ringer. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
  18. ^ Smith, Maddy (2023-03-27). "Wednesday: "The South is a disheartening place to live – but also invigorating"". The Forty-Five. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
  19. ^ "COVER STORY Wednesday's Year of the Rat". Pastemagazine.com. April 3, 2023. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  20. ^ DeVille, Chris (January 22, 2021). "Stream MJ Lenderman & Wednesday's Collaborative EP Guttering". Stereogum. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  21. ^ Rettig, James (December 12, 2019). "Wednesday – "Fate Is…" & "Billboard"". Stereogum. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  22. ^ Rettig, James (January 7, 2020). "Wednesday – "November"". Stereogum. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  23. ^ DeVille, Chris (May 19, 2021). "Wednesday – "Handsome Man"". Stereogum. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  24. ^ Rettig, James (June 9, 2021). "Band To Watch: Wednesday". Stereogum. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  25. ^ Rettig, James (July 7, 2021). "Wednesday – "One More Last One"". Stereogum. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  26. ^ Campbell, Caleb (July 20, 2021). "Premiere: Wednesday Shares New Single "How Can You Live If You Can't Love How Can You If You Do"". Under the Radar. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  27. ^ Cills, Hazel (February 23, 2022). "Wednesday, 'She's Actin' Single (I'm Drinkin' Doubles)'". NPR. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  28. ^ DeVille, Chris (March 25, 2022). "Wednesday – "Feast Of Snakes"". Stereogum. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  29. ^ Russell, Scott (September 8, 2022). "Wednesday Share Towering New Single "Bull Believer," Sign to Dead Oceans". Paste. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  30. ^ Lorusso, Marissa (January 18, 2023). "Wednesday, 'Chosen to Deserve'". NPR. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
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