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Jan 14, 2022 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Aika Lau

Indie trio Wild Rivers are back next month with their sophomore LP, Sidelines. Coming six years after their 2016 self-titled debut, their sophomore release is an introspective reflection on early adulthood, touching on the joys and unknowns of coming-of-age. The band co-produced the record with Peter Katis (The National, Interpol, Sharon van Etten), recording in Connecticut, Los Angeles, and Kingston, Ontario. The band shared a steady stream of singles last year and have returned today with their last single from the record, “Bedrock,” premiering with Under the Radar.

“Bedrock” is a stirring, shimmering indie pop reflection, carried by wistful vocal harmonies and a sweet pop melody. Though instrumental is warm and welcoming, yet the lyrics explore darker territory, reflecting on the weight of depression and bringing to life the moment when you finally hit rock bottom一“I got this friend I like to carry on my shoulders / And he looks a lot like me / I sort of hoped we’d grow apart as we got older / But he’s getting awful heavy.” The resulting track expertly straddles the lines between folk and indie, offering an empathetic and enveloping comfort and a piece of poignant pop beauty.

Wild Rivers’ Khalid Yassein says of the track, “This song is about struggling with your mental health. We were all living in Los Angeles at the time I wrote it, which is kind of a weird place to be depressed. It’s constantly sunny out, and there’s always fun things to do. The song is about accepting being unhappy and hitting rock bottom, and the sense of relief that comes from that.

For the video, we wanted to look at all these final straw moments, little stuff that would ruin your day. We thought it was a fun concept to juxtapose with the darker subject matter. Plus, it was a full circle moment when we got to film it in Echo Park in LA where the song was written.”

Check out the song, video, and Wild Rivers’ upcoming tour dates below. The band is also slated to perform at BottleRock Festival May 27-29 and the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival June 16-19. Sidelines is out everywhere on February 4th via Nettwerk.

Wild Rivers 2022 Tour Dates:

January 27 – Pittsburgh, PA – The Club at Stage AE
January 28 – Columbus, OH – A&R Music Bar
January 29 – Indianapolis, IN – HI-FI
January 31 – Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon
February 1 – Omaha, NE – Slowdown
February 2 – Kansas City, MO – recordBar
February 4 – St. Louis, MO – Old Rock House
February 5 – Louisville, KY – Zanzabar
February 8 – Birmingham, AL – Saturn
February 9 – Athens, GA – 40 Watt Club
February 10 – Asheville, NC – The Grey Eagle
February 11 – Charlottesville, VA – The Southern
February 14 – Baltimore, MD – 8x10
February 15 – Asbury Park, NJ – Asbury Lanes
February 17 – Holyoke, MA – Gateway City Arts
February 18 – Providence, RI – Fete Music Hall - Lounge
February 19 – Portland, ME – Portland House of Music
February 21 – Burlington, VT– Higher Ground - Showcase Lounge
February 22 – Buffalo, NY – Buffalo Iron Works

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