The Wans
Nashville, Tennessee, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2012 | SELF
Music
Press
Epiphone and Delve Texas know how to throw a party. First it was NAMMJAM2015, held last January during NAMM2015 featuring Otherwise, Steel Panther, and jazz great Nick Colionne. And this spring, we teamed up again to produce Speakeasy at the Delve Inn which was held during the SXSW Music Conference in Austin.
The 9-day event featured over 30 bands and attracted over 3,000 attendees including Jimmy Chamberlin of Smashing Pumpkins (now the CEO of LiveOne), and representatives from iTunes, Zappos, and MTV and many more. Epiphone's The Wans held everyone's attention during their set. (Not an easy task at SXSW). The trio released their latest album, He Said She Said, last fall to terrific reviews and the band has been going full-tilt ever since. Thanks again to Delve Texas for the great show and the great photo and visit The Wans website for more tour info. - Epiphone
The Wans are a bluesy garage punk band fronted by the playful but earnest cry of North Ireland native, Simon Kerr. They’re a tasty blend of psychedelic Brit-rock that subtly nods to Kerr’s upbringing while mixing with with sounds from their current residence, Nashville. Kerr’s voice is sensitive and personal, touching on autobiographical stories through a sardonic lens.
Their recent release, “He Said, She Said” has fittingly been described as “the background music to a bar brawl”. The Wans’ swampy debut gives glimpses of their potential in modern blues rock. It’s a rollicking set of 10 tracks that burn hot throughout, only slowing down to allow for guitar shredding and feedback. “He Said, She Said” is another example of the powerful tunes coming out of Music City, USA. Listen to the intense performance of tracks old and new here. - Audiotree
The Wans are perfectly positioned for 2015 to be their year. The two-year-old band wrote more than 40 songs for their album He Said, She Said, whittling the tally down to 10 gritty rock tracks with the help of producer Dave Cobb, who counts the likes of Rival Sons and Jason Isbell as clients. Mixer Vance Powell, who has worked with Jack White and the Arctic Monkeys, put the finishing touches on their entirely analog and live-recorded album. The brash and grungy tunes pay homage to classic rock n’ roll like Led Zeppelin and Cream as well as ‘90s powerhouses Nirvana and Soundgarden, and have been lauded around the world by publications such as American Songwriter and NME. Their signature sound has popped up on TV shows as diverse as ABC’s Nashville, A&E’s Longmire and USA’s Necessary Roughness, while they’ve hit the stages opening for Pearl Jam, Beck and the Black Lips. In addition, the band will soon launch a spring tour, followed by slots on top festivals such as Hangout, Forecastle, Austin City Limits and CMJ. With plenty of upcoming chances to see them live, this band should not be missed. - BMI
Discography
September 2014 - debut LP 'He Said, She Said' http://thewans.bandcamp.com/album/he-said-she-said
July 2012 - debut EP http://thewans.bandcamp.com/album/the-wans-ep
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
- Debut LP 'He Said, She Said' produced by Dave Cobb (Sturgill Simpson, Rival Sons, Jason Isbell) & mixed by Vance Powell (Jack White, Arctic Monkeys)
- performed ACL, Forecastle, Hangout Festival, & CMJ in 2014.
- SXSW, Rhythm & Blooms & Voodoo Music + Arts Experience confirmed for 2015.
- Tours supporting Dead Sara + Jesse Malin for March/April 2015.
- Nashville gigs supporting Reignwolf, J Roddy, Todd Snider, The Delta Saints in 2013-2014
- BMW ad for “Black Pony” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gW18FT7Qt2w
- syncs on ABC’s hit series Nashville, plus several network placements on ABC, USA + A&E.
- Feb 2015 BMI Indie Spotlight
Since they formed three years ago, The Wans have been unleashing shotgun blasts of rock & roll that have resounded from their hometown of Nashville (American Songwriter) all the way to London (NME). They’ve already shared festival billing with artists such as Pearl Jam, Beck & the Black Lips, and their music has been featured on a BMW commercial + ABC shows such as the hit series Nashville, Secrets and Lies, A&E’s Longmire and USA’s Necessary Roughness.
The Wans wrote over 40 songs for the new album before whittling them down to the 10 best. “We tracked all the songs in one week at Dave Cobb’s studio, which is completely analog,” says lead singer/guitarist Simon Kerr. “He has this old mixing board that some of our favorite albums were recorded on—The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin. The sound of that board really guided us on 'He Said, She Said.' We cut it completely live—even the vocals.”
“And we were at Dave’s the whole time—basically slept on his floor the week we made the record,” says drummer Mark Petaccia. “We’d sleep for an hour or two a night then wake up, drink some whiskey and get back to recording. It was intense, but it was fun.”
On 'He Said, She Said', The Wans channel both the classic riff rock of Led Zeppelin & Cream and the grunge of ’90s bands like Nirvana & Soundgarden, but with a modern twist. “We’re all massive fans of ’60s rock and most certainly the early-’90s grunge movement,” says bassist Thomas Bragg, “but we didn’t really go into this planning to make a ’90s-sounding record. Once the album was finished, though, it had certainly gone in that direction, and we all looked at each other and knew we had something special.”
The Wans picked up their name from transplant Kerr’s hometown back in Ireland. “It’s everyday slang in Derry,” he says. “Pretty much, it means ‘The Ones,’ but the way it’s spelled is the way it’s pronounced in an Irish accent. So now everyone has to pronounce it that way!”
With the release of 'He Said, She Said', constant touring in the works including some prime festival appearances, 2015 is set to be a breakout year for The Wans.
Band Members
Links
