photo Lee Hooper
Wilding
WHATEVER I AM
3rd May 2024:
Naarm/Melbourne artist Wilding has just released his latest album, Whatever I Am, a cleverly whimsical body of work that ponders the self, in matters both big and small.
“At its core, Whatever I Am is an album about generational identity. I seem to be asking… is this me? Was this me? Will this be me?” WILDING
Whatever I Am was recorded by Fabian Hunter (Jade Imagine, Zoe Fox, Baby Blue) at his Fishbones Tone Shack studio in Northcote, alongside Wilding frontman Justin Wilding Stokes, and Robin Waters (Eves Karydas, Dan Sultan, Ella Hooper). The album was mixed by ARIA Award-winning producer Wayne Connolly (The Teskey Brothers, You Am I, Babe Rainbow), followed by the mastering talents of John Lee (The Murlocs, The Stroppies).
Following the release of the new album, Wilding will be performing a one-off show at Melbourne’s beloved Old Bar in Fitzroy on Friday 10th May, bringing the whole band and some very talented friends along for the ride. Joining Wilding will be the melancholically uplifting jangle-pop of Redspencer and the post-punk sounds of newcomers Follies.
April 2023:
Melbourne/Naarm artist Wilding releases irresistible new single “I Am” – a catchy neo-disco guitar pop song. Check out the Happy article!
“I Am” is a song about identity. Using a sardonic laundry list of confused self-perception, Wilding playfully asks us who we are and how we see ourselves. And whether this even matters. Deciding instead it’s better to not ponder this idea for too long.
Over Wilding’s whimsical lyrics, “I Am” delivers a hard syncopated beat and sleek euro-disco bassline, skewed by an awkwardly bent guitar hook that bounces all over the chorus.
“I Am” is taken from Wilding’s fourth album Whatever I Am out on Friday 3 May on Half A Cow Records. Wilding celebrates the release with a massive album launch party at The Old Bar, Fitzroy on Friday 10 May with Redspencer and more. Event details
*****
photo Lee Hooper
November 2023:
Melbourne/Naarm artist Wilding releases a lively new guitar-pop song “Same Old Day”.
“The sun always shines brighter the day Naarm/Melbourne popster Wilding releases another one of his sparkling sonic jewels. This time it is ‘Same Old Day’ – another dappling ray of aural sunshine with a slightly wonky ramble and Justin Wilding Stokes’s sardonic and wry delivery. There is detectable a slight fairground, carnival lilt, redolent perhaps of bands like Madness, doffing a jaunty cap at the vicissitudes of life.” – Backseat Mafia
“Same Old Day” is a song about ordinary struggles. The struggle to get off the sofa. The struggle to pay the bills. The struggle to eat healthy. The struggle to turn off the telly. The struggle to get a night’s sleep. But mostly, the struggle to finish a crossword.
But don’t let that fool you into thinking this is a sad song. It’s not. It’s fun and bouncy and charming. It’s another slice of British-flavoured guitar-pop that blends Wilding’s kitchen sink realism with a discordant art-rock swagger.
Melbourne/Naarm artist Wilding celebrates new single “Same Old Day” with a massive launch party at The Retreat Hotel, Brunswick on Friday 1 December.
Joining Wilding will be the dreamy space-age pop of Thibault who will charm you with her beautiful songs and beguiling baroque sounds. And before that, you’ll be dancing joyously to witty art-rockers The Great Emu War Casualties and swooning to the indie surf pop vibes of Spacetime Worms.
NEW SONGS! A SINGLE LAUNCH!
“We are very honoured to premiere the new double single from one of our favourite artists, Naarm/Melbourne’s Wilding, released through the legendary Half A Cow label. Wilding – the brainchild of Justin Wilding Stokes, is the sonic architect of some very fine whimsical, intelligent pop and we have been following his career for a number of years. He is back in better form than ever, with two prime examples of radiant pop, laced with an irreverent sense of humour and a draftsman’s eye for details of the vagaries of the human condition.” – Backseat Mafia premiere
“On Friday 22nd September, we’ll be releasing 2 new Wilding songs – “Difficult Day” and “Logical Steve”. The first new materials in 3 years! More to come on that news.
To celebrate we’re having a single launch party at Nighthawks on Saturday 30 September. It’s after the AFL grand final, so you won’t forget the date. But leave your scarves at home as there’s only one team winning the trophy this year – team Wilding! [groan]
We’ll be sharing the pitch with Billy Cart and KIT. And DJ Harry Rag will be spinning tunes between bands. Join the event.” – Wilding
*****
New Wilding single taken from The Death of Foley’s Mall album “Losing Teeth” out Friday 23rd April 2021 backed with unreleased track “Did You Hear That?”
Losing Teeth is the new single from Melbourne odd-popster, Wilding. It’s about a man living through a desperate and inescapable personal crisis. Each tooth he loses is symbolic of how much his life is hopelessly deteriorating. He wonders if his luck will ever change.
“I was once a boy with a future bright and a happy smile of alabaster white. Oh I’m just fed up with losing teeth”
His human turmoil is wrapped up in a woozy psychedelic melody of sickly guitars and fairground keys evoking the feel of John Lennon or Mac DeMarco.
Losing Teeth is one of a series of character-study songs Wilding wrote about people who live in his neighbourhood of Coburg, Victoria, and is taken from the concept album, The Death of Foley’s Mall.
The single is released with the new Wilding song ‘Did you hear that?’ – a spooky hallucinogenic trip about the paranoia of hearing unfamiliar night-time sounds.
*****
The Death of Foley’s Mall
A husband holds the cold hand of his dead wife and thinks it the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen. A man down on his luck, keeps losing his teeth. A lounge lizard spends her pension at the Moreland Hotel pokies room. A man rides his mobility scooter with wilful abandon down supermarket aisles.
These are all scenes from The Death of Foley’s Mall, the new album from Wilding.
After losing his day job, Wilding spent time procrastinating at a faded mid-century café inside the yellowed decaying walls of Foley’s Mall. He observed passers-by. He imagined their lives. They seemed to personify the building, where memories were more tangible than the present. A parade of bargain hunters with remarkable human stories of love, loss, grief and hope.
Wilding has captured these stories within 11 character study songs he wrote about people who live in his suburb of Coburg, Victoria. These are songs about old people. Mostly. These are nostalgic songs, indeed. But they are songs entirely with heart and compassion. Part fact, part fiction. But fully real.
The Death of Foley’s Mall is a charming collection of songs that encompass punchy, infectious guitar tunes, mournful ballads and towering chamber-pop. Sometimes he is effervescently melodic and upbeat, reminding you of classic British bands likes Supergrass and Madness. At other times he draws on the more wistful moments from artists like The Beach Boys, Burt Bacharach and The Kinks. Despite this stylistic diversity, Wilding makes these songs flow across an album unified by its lyrical themes of loss, change and grief.
Swipe Right
“Swipe Right” is the latest single from Melbourne odd-popster, Wilding. Join him as he leads you through the truly dispiriting pursuit of finding human connection through online dating, “Swipe Right” holds an infectious groove of spikey, syncopated guitars and bouncing synths. A defiant declaration that life begins on the other side of despair.
In the music video, Wilding meets a philosophical stick insect during Melbourne’s second wave lockdown and together they ponder the nature of existence.
“Swipe Right” is one of a series of character-study songs Wilding wrote about people who live in his neighbourhood of Coburg, Victoria. His concept album, The Death of Foley’s Mall is out on Friday 2 October.
Swipe Right was released by Half A Cow Records on Friday 18 September.
The World Will End Today
Coronavirus. Bushfires. Extinction. Ever think the world’s about to end?
“The World Will End Today” is the new track from Melbourne odd-pop songwriter Wilding. It’s a darkly infectious a-pop-calyptic singalong for our deeply troubling times. Faced with catastrophic events, perhaps the only way to preserve humanity is to colonise the stars. If not literally, then in our imagination.
“The World Will End Today” is one of a series of character-study songs Wilding wrote about people who live in his neighbourhood of Coburg, Victoria. His concept album, The Death of Foley’s Mall is out on Friday 2 October.
In the music video, Wilding slowly morphs into another being. Is it the virus? Grab your toilet rolls and settle in.
The World Will End Today released April 2020
Speed King of the Commonwealth
“Speed King of the Commonwealth” is the new track from Melbourne odd-pop songwriter Wilding. A high energy blast of bubblegum guitar-pop. Its a joyful and affectionate song about riding a mobility scooter with wilful abandon. It’s one of a series of upcoming observational songs Wilding recently wrote about people who live in his neighbourhood of Coburg, Victoria. Like Alan Bennett jamming with Ray Davies. His concept album, The Death of Foley’s Mall is due later in the year.
“A two-and-a-half minute pop nugget, ‘Speed King of the Commonwealth’ whizzes and fizzes by with scuzzy guitars, smiley melodies, charming hooks and his signature preference for playful, jovial and off-kilter pop, and all covered in delightful layers of fuzz. Infectious doesn’t even cover the half of it; this is sparkling indie-pop perfection – one to be treasured and enjoyed, no question!” – barrygruff.com
Molecules to Moons
An exceptional follow-up to his 2012 debut, Wilding’s new album Molecules To Moons is a joyous collection of infectious odd-pop, foppish Abbey Road psychedelia and beautifully dreamy balladry. It’s a must listen for fans of The Beach Boys, Blur, The Kinks and The Flaming Lips. Wilding is the project of Melbourne songwriter and UK ex-pat Justin Wilding Stokes. Originally from Liverpool, he moved to Australia to live with his maternal grandmother, yet it’s clear that his hometown left an indelible mark on his music – at Molecules To Moons’ heart is unashamedly British-flavoured pop.
Infectious upbeat tracks, like singles Missing Her and Monkey House, feel like a carousel ride of sky-high horns and outrageous fuzz guitars. Beautiful Bacharach-pop ballads, like Deep River and Stuck In The Middle, float on a slipstream of hypnotic rhythms, wobbly synths, yearning piano and melancholic trumpet.
Pics
Videos
I Am is taken from the new Wilding Album Whatever I Am out on 3 May on Half A Cow Records. A music video by Justin Wilding Stokes Camera by Lee Hooper Thanks to Dina Jardine and Gajah Mina Beach Resort, Bali. WARNING: contains depictions of fictional drug-taking and suicide which some viewers might find troubling.
Wilding takes you on a nostalgic trip to the fish and chip shops of the northern Melbourne suburbs. A celebration of Friday night outings, oil drenched chips, and greasy fingers.
Same Old Day is the new song from Melbourne/Naarm artist Wilding. It’s a whimsical carnival of guitar-pop that blends his kitchen sink realism with an art-rock swagger.
Filmclip produced, directed and edited by Chris Logie
Filmclip produced, directed and edited by Bradley Watson with a bit of help/hindrance from Justin Wilding Stokes
Buy Music
Whatever I Am
OUT 3rd May 2024
I Am
OUT 19th April 2024
Same Old Day
OUT 24th November 2023
A: Difficult Day / AA: Logical Steve
OUT 22nd September 2023
Hello, My Name Is…Wilding
Losing Teeth b/w Did You Hear That?
out Friday 23rd April
The Death Of Foley’s Mall
Swipe Right
The World Will End Today
Speed King of the Commonwealth
Molecules to Moons
Bird’s Bread
Discography
The Death of Foley’s Mall
The Death of Foley’s Mall (hac253)
released 2nd October, 2020
Words and music by Justin Wilding Stokes
Produced by Justin Wilding Stokes and Fabian Hunter
Recorded by Fabian Hunter, Justin Wilding Stokes and Robin Waters
Mixed by Fabian Hunter
Additional mixing by Robin Waters
Mastered by Casey Hartnett
The World Will End Today
Molecules To Moons
Molecules to Moons (hac163)
released 2015
All songs written by Justin Wilding Stokes
Recorded, produced and mixed by Robin Waters at Glamour Trowel, Melbourne 2014
Artwork by Andrea Jolly, Graphic design by Jo Gardiner, Photograph by Lee Hooper.
Mastered by Matt Redlich
Made with producer Robin Waters (The Boat People, Machine Translations), at Molecules To Moons’ heart is unashamedly British-flavoured pop.
Bird’s Bread
Bird’s Bread (via 535)
re-released 2015
Originally released 2012
All songs written by Justin Wilding Stokes
Recorded, produced and mixed by Robin Waters in Brunswick, Melbourne, 2010-2011
Mastered by Matt Redlich at Massive Studios, Brisbane
Justin Wilding Stokes – vocals, various instruments
Robin Waters – various instruments, backing vocals
with
Evan Rennick – electric guitar (on 7,11)
Lee Hooper – vocals, violin (on 9, 11)
Tristan Stokes – bass, cheese grater (on 8)
Cate Hazleden-Butler – flute (on 2, 6)
Alicia Fernandez, Rebecca Young and Cheree Dobra – backing vocals (on 2, 6, 8, 11)
Artwork by Andrea Jolley
Cover design by Katie Geppert
Sleeve design by Luke Gardiner
Reviews
The Death of Foley’s Mall - Backseat Mafia
“And all this poetic whimsy does not float around on its own. The instrumentation is rich and crystalline: bubbling guitars and a pounding insistent rhythm with splashes of instrumentation. Stokes’s voice is a perfect delivery mechanism for the lyrics: there is a self-deprecatory tone, a hint of arch humour and celestial harmonies that add a Beach Boys lustre.
This is truly a moving album. Beautifully expressed, perfectly formed pop songs that evince a sense of deep melancholy at the state of humanity, yet spotlights the inherent beauty and nobility of individuals.” – Arun Kendall/Backseat Mafia