Nylon is streaming Wolf Gang’s new EP Black River in full the week before street date. The EP will be released April 29 on Cherrytree Records, home to breakthrough British acts like Ellie Goulding,Disclosure and La Roux. Black River will be available at all digital retailers on April 29 with a limited physical quantity being sold at the band’s upcoming tour dates. Nylon says, “the title number and thumping jam ‘Last Bayou’ really boast soundtrack status. It might be early to call, but who says that has to stop us from putting McElligott and co. into the running for songs of the summer?!” Black River will give listeners the first taste of what is to come on the band’s upcoming sophomore record out later this year. Wolf Gang are currently recording their sophomore album with British music producer Flood (U2, Nine Inch Nails, PJ Harvey). Flood just won the award for UK producer of the year at the Brit awards for his work on Foals’ album Holy Fire.
The live shows reveal the musicians’ interest in stylistic aesthetics as well: the band has a long-standing connection with the fashion world, and have collaborated with brands like Armani and Burberry and performed at London’s Fashion Week.
Wolf Gang initially formed as a solo project by London musician Max McElligott, but has since evolved into a full-on collaborative effort between its four members. Wolf Gang’s debut album,Suego Faults, produced by Dave Fridmann (MGMT, The Flaming Lips) came out in 2011. Although those songs were a reflection of McElligott’s individual musical sensibility, as the band toured extensively on the songs, Wolf Gang transformed the songs into vibrant live collaborations, leading McElligott to officially make the band a four-piece. Inspired to work together, the musicians decamped to Berlin to write songs that fully encapsulated their live experience and contained the sort of energy the band was able to generate onstage, resulting in Black River. The songs reflect a true melding of all four musicians’ sensibilities, which is something you can hear throughout the EP. “It’s great to hear everyone’s personality and style on the record” McElligott says. “This is a real progression for us in that sense because it’s a full-bodied piece of work that reflects all our characters and emotions.”
