You might not know the word ‘wonder’ but you’ll definitely have felt it before. ‘Sonder’ is the profound feeling of realising that everyone else in the world is living a life just as complex as yours. It’s a clever name for an album, and sophomore record from The Wrecks, released today, lives up to its title with a collection of songs about the sort of love and loss the affects us all.
The alternative rock outfit started life as the solo project of Nick Anderson, but he’s since been joined by Aaron Kelley (bass), Nick “Schmizz” Schmidt (guitar), and Billy Nally (drums). The decision to become a four-piece really paid off: with over 80 million listens and a global fanbase, The Wrecks are well-placed coming into heir second album.
“Making this album was a very difficult, sleepless journey that took a lot out of me, but each day and night throughout that process, I could see the light at the end of the tunnel,” says Anderson. “I wrote this album because I had to. I was slowly and poorly processing a breakup, and for a while there, the breakup was winning.”
The tables soon turned, though, and Anderson funnelled his emotions into writing Sonder over a two-year period. Sonder follows the release of their debut album, the misnomer Infinitely Ordinary, in 2020. The band are currently on a headline tour around their home country, set to conclude in Los Angeles on July 23rd (see further information here).
To celebrate the release of their new album, we caught up with Anderson as part of our Get To Know series to find out more about his band and life.
The Wrecks’ Sonder is out now via Big Noise Music Group
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How did your artist name come about?
Our old manager thought of Wreck, and then we changed it to The Wrecks and that’s our name.
How would you describe your music to your grandma?
Hey grandma, you know how you love Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and Miles Davis? Well my band sounds nothing like them. You probably couldn’t even hear the frequency range of the cymbals. But if you put a lot of distortion on Miles Davis’s trumpet and made Frank Sinatra’s voice much higher and not as good, you’d be a couple steps closer to what my band sounds like.
Tell us about a few of your tracks; their titles and what they’re about?
Our song ‘Favorite Liar’ is about looking back at a relationship that went awry and only seeing the good things, when it’s really important to realise what went wrong and why it ended as a means of getting over it.
‘Freaking Out’ is about a psychedelic journey – and the anxious peril that sometimes can come with it – but the eventual bliss of a good trip.
‘Fvck Somebody’ is about being in a stale relationship and wishing your significant other would cheat on you, so you have a reason to break up with them without being the bad guy.
‘I Love This Part’ is about the moment when you realize you are moving on from someone and how liberating that feels.
What do you love about your hometown?
The sense of community and how there’s always a helping hand. Our music video for ‘Fvck Somebody’ was done with a lot of people from my hometown that just wanted to help out. It took no effort at all to have 40-50 people help out without a day’s notice.
Career highlight so far?
Playing Lollapalooza was definitely a big moment for us. Going on our first headline tour with only three songs out. Hearing our song playing in the stadium during the Super Bowl. Selling out shows in venues where we used to open (And doing this interview).
Fave non-music hobby?
Nick likes crocheting & sewing. Schmizz likes surfing. Aaron likes cleaning his room. Billy likes jet skiing.
What’s on your dream rider?
4 RC cars that we can ride throughout the arena.
Dream music collaboration?
Lizzy McAlpine. If someone in Australia knows how to get into contact with her, please let me know.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Taking care of my 11-year-old dog. Writing songs for The Wrecks.
What’s your go-to karaoke song?
‘Suck Up the Sun’ by Sheryl Crow.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
Give up. Bo Burnham said this during an interview on Conan. It’s never been an option for me and when I hear something like this it usually goes right past my head. It was good advice because it helped solidify my ideas and made me think introspectively about what I was going to do.
