An anthem for the indie shoegaze masses and beyond, Wine Pride looks likely to be the next big band to reignite the flame of a genre that has been such a stronghold in the indie and DIY scenes over the last decades.
Lovingly dubbed as ‘anxious rock performed by day dreamers’, exciting new North Carolina band Wine Pride layers percussive and ethereal loops, with introspective themes amidst an arena of enchanting effects to create a sound of intoxicating delicacy and emotional depth. Heavily influenced by 80s post punk giants The Cure and Joy Division combined with shoegaze pioneers Slowdive and The Field Mice, Wine Pride, was initially formed through the DIY journaling of frontman Aaron Felger. A project that was then built on collaboration and jamming sessions in their local scene, a surf rock influence entered the frame in the Kozlowkski brothers, and immediately the band started writing and recording their sumptuous blends of subgenres together to create the sound they carry today.
Creating music for the daydreamers and lovers of the ethereal, their debut single ‘Sleep’ released in 2022 caught the attention of many in their homeland and in the UK, and this group have been working hard behind the scenes on a debut album to be released on May 26th. The first instalment of it is melancholic indie dream-pop gem ‘Lone Flyer’, which feels like the perfect introduction to Wine Pride. A sea of reverb drenched guitars soak you in their unique atmosphere to begin with, reminiscent of Day Wave and Real Estate in sonics, before the band take flight into a soaring envelope of guitar loop effects and Felger’s floaty vocals and understatedly commanding presence, rekindling the early days of Peace. It’s uplifting, therapeutic and sends a message of calm and reassurance from a band who are so clearly in synergy with one another.
A song written in the midst of Aaron’s personal life changing and his perceptions switching, ‘Lone Flyer’ is an ode to those who want to cut loose from their unwanted ties and that it’s OK to feel like you don’t fit in. Wine Pride possesses the one of a kind ability to softly inject a level of humanity and organicness in their sound, diving deep into a mix of melancholy and bliss which is ever resonating from that first second.
Aaron says “Lone Flyer is an ode to those who crave a moment of solitude; embracing the positive aspects of being unaccompanied through life’s most precious moments. A few years ago, I impulsively broke off to live in NYC where I found myself on solo explorations through the city. Those experiences were incredibly cathartic as they provided a continuous dosage of introspection . The lyric “Flying Alone Into the Sun” is a direct representation from my lone ventures where I’d take the train around the city until the sun would rise; experiencing the city as it resets for a new day.”