Wendlo

When Wendlo’s Jacob and Chelsea took the stage Friday night at Heart of the City, they had a large crowd ready to listen. The space, home to both the church and its associated record label, Satellite Heart Records, was large and comfortable, with banks of folding chairs to the left and right of the stage. Three couches sat facing the large stage, with tall bar-style tables filling in the space behind the couches. A “fizz bar,” serving $3 Italian sodas “without the cream,” the purple-haired, tattooed bartender said. Jonathan Heynen, another label artist, had just finished an hour-long opening set, telling musical stories with his acoustic guitar and smooth high-baritone voice. Drummer Derek, bassist Tito and keyboardist Sara joined Heynen onstage for the last few tunes, then stayed in place to back the main act.

Wendlo — “old new” spelled backwards — came to Heart of the City to release their latest EP, Engagement Party, a lovely, elegiac, musical treat full of interesting beats, electronic backgrounds, and — above all — beautiful melodies and soaring harmonies. Jacob, dressed in a casual tunic-style T-shirt with white pants and deck-shoes, grabbed his acoustic guitar and stepped up to the mic. Chelsea, wearing an understated combo of blue jeans and black shirt, took to her own microphone to offer her own half of the duo’s unique sound. The band began with a rendition of the first track off the EP, “Seasick,” an ambient, electronic pop tune with close harmonies and pretty keyboard over the top. For the second song, “Soft Spot,” Chelsea grabbed a ukulele to complement Jacob’s strumming. This upbeat number, reminiscent of a Bon Iver joint, showed off Wendlo’s energetic side; the duo and backing band were clearly enjoying stretching out. The singers sang out, strong and clear, “I’m tryin’ to tell you to slow down/a little bit more.” Good thing the band didn’t listen; “Soft Spot” is a fantastic listen.

Atlanta-based Wendlo started when Jacob and Chelsea Hamilton met in Anchorage, Chelsea’s hometown, in 2011. “Before we started dating, we were casually playing music together,” says Jacob. “We covered a pretty wide range of music, everything from John Mayer to Kanye West. The first time we ever played in front of people together was at a wedding, and the response we got from that encouraged us to play for people more. We weren't writing original stuff at that point, we were just learning covers and playing at open mics in town.” According to their CD Baby page, the duo put together a livecast of Christmas music on Facebook, earning 4,000 views in just a few days. Kris Carmody, who had just launched Satellite Heart Records, called soon after and invited them to come record their songs. Backing musicians Derek and Sara are two of the four members on the Satellite Heart Records board of directors, and they also took on producer roles while recording Wendlo’s debut album.

This sort of consistency made for a gorgeous live sound. Next up came “For Now,” a soulful, heartfelt tale about, perhaps, the impermanence of relationships. Jacob grabbed a harmonica for flavor while keyboardist Sara evoked plaintive chords from the Korg in front of her. This song lets both singers have a verse or two on their own, a nice contrast to the brilliant close harmonies of the rest of the set. Jacob’s voice is supple and able, he can produce a low, raspy growl, a meaningful mid-range with restrained power, and a controlled, brilliant falsetto, depending on the tune. Chelsea’s soft, melodic voice contains a hidden strength, as well, which she used to good effect throughout the show.

Wendlo continued the performance a few new tunes, one altogether, and then one apiece from both leads. The new unnamed group tune was a bouncy, jazzy thing, with lyrics that promises “we can work it all out,” and sticking together, which “beats wakin’ up alone.” The rest of the band took a break while Jacob accompanied himself on guitar for his solo song. It had a sensitive, John Mayer vibe, telling us about a beautiful woman who wakes up with makeup all over her face, yet takes off running anyway. Jacob admitted it was about Chelsea, much to her blushing embarrassment. The crowd loved the personal story, though. Chelsea came up next, and — with Jacob on guitar — showed off her well-rounded, full vocal ability. Chelsea sang that she was “starting to notice all the little things you do,” which is fairly easy to attribute to Jacob.

The band came back onstage to finish out the show. Poor Tito forgot his 5-string bass, though, and had to run back to grab it. This, right here, is the glory of a live show. Once all members were in place, their in-ear monitors settled, Wendlo ripped into the hottest tune of the session: Hall and Oates’ “Rich Girl,” with Chelsea taking lead vocals. The whole group rocked and appeared to love every minute. Jacob rocked around the stage, communing with the other musicians when not singing back ups, while Chelsea came alive as she sang about the wealthy woman who’s daddy’s money never runs out. As the last notes of the joyously-performed cover tune rang out, Jacob grabbed the ukulele and Chelsea picked up the acoustic guitar. Chelsea again sang leads, while Jacob backed her up with perfect harmony. “Just You and Me” is a singer-songwriter tune that recalls the simplicity of Priscilla Ahn’s “Dream.” It’s a lovely, intimate song about living as a couple. Finally, after thanking everyone for coming, Wendlo slid into “Wild,” another electronic-flavored pop tune with perfectly-crafted ambience, melody, and those Wendlo harmonies. It was hard not to hum the brilliant cornerstone chorus for many hours after the show. “Never Been so Wild,” they sang over the gorgeous backing arrangements; here’s hoping they continue to make such wild and honest music.

Engagement Party is available on iTunes, CD Baby, Apple Music and Spotify. The band will play at Resurrect Art in Seward on July 22, and they hope to hit Williwaw’s open mic here in Anchorage on Wednesday nights. Wendlo plans to have another release party in Atlanta near the end of July, and are currently writing a full-length album to come out next year, along with the aforementioned solo projects. “So between writing and playing shows,” says Jacob, “we'll definitely stay busy from now until the end of November when we're back in Anchorage for a few weeks.” - Anchorage Press