Wake Up makes us nostalgic for bygone eras with new video and single "Places"
Photo by Gretchen Robinette
As we approach the one-year pandemic mark many of us find ourselves grappling with restlessness, longing for the sense of connection and belonging we once gleaned from social settings. We may find solace in reminiscing on the times when we could just jam, hang out, pack into crowded shows, and be with our friends.
Wake Up is an alt-pop band taking us deeper into those bittersweet memories with their new music video and single, "Places." With footage from the band's 2014 tour with Surfer Blood you'll feel like you're on the road hanging with the band, enjoying downtime in the van.
While in the midst of working on a new record, front man Evan Mui rediscovered the band's album, Tigers Can't be Choosers and decided to release it from the Wake Up vaults. Until recently it had never seen the light of day due to shifting band line-ups, a cross country relocation from Lake Worth, FL to L.A. and life getting in the way.
As an artist, it's easy to get caught in self criticism and the constant chase for what's next.
"Despite whatever qualms about production that we had with this album at the time, the songs and the people that play on this record represent a bit of a golden era for us," Evan recalls. "Whatever else was going on in the world at the time, we were all together, living a few blocks away from each other, hanging out, making music all the time, and having fun."
With Big Star, Built to Spill, and Grateful Dead as influences, nostalgia plays a key role in the band's sound; it's no surprise they're looking back on the moments that made the band what it is today.
So what's next for Wake Up? The group is currently working on a new record in collaboration with Ben Barnett and Hutch Harris from pop-punk band, The Thermals. In addition to engineering and producing other up-and-coming artists out of his apartment studio, Evan is always exploring, using songs, paintings, poetry, and “any way to express creativity really” as an outlet, “including practicing compassion, loving kindness, and patience with others."
With the tones, colors and words expressed in the video, Evan hopes to invoke a feeling of hopefulness. "Whatever feelings or memories it may bring up, whether happy or sad," the artist's hope is that "there’s some over-all implied sense of resolve, confidence, or happiness … or something like that.”
While we patiently await the next Wake Up album you can expect a vinyl pressing of Tigers Can't Be Choosers or cop a limited edition cassette of the album. Follow Wake Up on Instagram, Facebook and Spotify.
