Biography
The story of WOMBO and the minds behind the music
'Fairy Rust,' the album from Wombo (Sydney Chadwick, Cameron Lowe, Joel Taylor), contemplates the spaces in-between, a meeting of the physicality of the land with the fluidity of the imagination, to uncanny effect. Across twelve tracks, sharpened guitar work, distorted freakouts and downtempo musings see the trio make a sonic leap forward into new and transformative places.
Conceived over the course of the last two years, the record is steeped in its own time warp of escapism, and influenced by fairytales like the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson ("RVG" is short for "Rip Van Winkle") that blend surreal situations with the mundane. 'Fairy Rust' plays on this preoccupation with fantasy, and the resulting record sounds like no one else.
Although the band was inspired by the rust belt and agricultural landscapes that permeate the background of their hometown of Louisville throughout the recording process, Wombo's music is also imbued with the ephemeral quality of being shaken awake from a dream.
Band Members
Sydney Chadwick
Vocals, Bass
Sydney Chadwick brings haunting vocals and driving bass lines to WOMBO, creating the foundation of the band's unique sound.
Cameron Lowe
Guitar
Cameron Lowe's innovative guitar work blends psychedelic textures with post-punk energy, pushing the boundaries of WOMBO's sonic landscape.
Joel Taylor
Drums
Joel Taylor's dynamic drumming provides the rhythmic backbone of WOMBO, bringing both precision and creative flair to the band's compositions.
Musical Style
Tracing out melodies before incorporating vocals, bits and pieces of lyrics are gradually assembled creating a framework that transcends a simple bassline or guitar part. Wombo weave together a tapestry of sound that's both intoxicating and effortless, where one minute it's all deadpan post-punk energy, and the next Stereolab on a mountain top. The music functions as their own localized language that feels uniquely out-of-body.
Heavy on Wombo's mind are the simple effects of coexistence. The imagery throughout 'Fairy Rust' often hints toward the juxtaposition of the city and the wilderness that surrounds it. There's a multitude of references to earth and water throughout the record, while the band contemplates the impact of the elements and the ability for human nature to leave its mark for better or for worse.
In the weird world of Wombo, regular demons are just a party of everyday life, with shadowy natures that are always half in and half out of step with morality and the setting of rules. The record upholds the certain romance that comes with knowing that no matter what, life is out of our immediate control, and the planet will persevere, with or without us.