An album release from WD-Han brings all the fresh grooves and classic rock tonality with more swagger and presence than you may even be able to handle complete with southern guitar twang in the form of bends and wails, crew vocals that stick in your brain, and endless character.
The 2020 Album is packed to the brim with all kinds of anthemic rock that comes through as genuine and energetic as you can possibly imagine, and it feels amazing to crank this soulful set of bangers for sure.
The grooves are hard hitting, and that attitude runs high from start to finish and that goes for all parts. Drums, vocals, guitars, bass, it all has a certain approach that really just feels sweet as hell.
The record boasts some crazy guitar work including some ripping solos and this sort of live performance feel. It's like the players are just feeding off of each other's energies the whole time and it makes for one colorful record.
There are more than a few gems and surprises through the course of this record, and it all has a way of attaching itself to you and letting you gain that energy.
With such a cool record we wanted to touch base with WD-Han to find out where exactly this record came from and what may be next for them band.
Here's what happened.
RAG: Okay so let's start with The 2020 Album. This record absolutely had a great edgy rock vibe to it! Where did this album come from?
Thank you! This was an idea we had in 2019 to put out one song a month for a year. It was an internal pressure to keep putting out songs that we felt were worthy of being released. It's not a concept album but I'm proud of how they all sound together. When a song has great lyrics and music to match, it's special, and I feel we did that really well on the 2020 album.
RAG: So how did this all begin for you guys as a band?
We met in high school! Now Spence and Lea are married, and I married our manager, Marjorye. We're a very tight-knit group as you can imagine. We've been through a lot, played many shows where things didn't go our way, no sound man, no stage, making our own stage...we have stories! But we're still here and kicking and loving every minute of it.
RAG: Who is in your headphones right now?
Young the Giant's new album American Bollywood, Rival Son's new single Everyone Wants to Die and Oh Wonder's new album 22 Make.
RAG: What inspires you to write a song?
New music is always inspiring to hear. Going to a great concert too! I love seeing great artists creating their art no matter the style. A great movie can start a conversation and all of a sudden you have a great idea for a song.
RAG: I'm hearing some great styles on this record. Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
Hendrix, Third Eye Blind, Dire Straits, Incubus, Rival Sons...and many others! There are so many inspiring musicians and bands.
RAG: What are you all doing when you're NOT working on music?
Going to the movies and drinking boba!
RAG: Would you say live performances are a big part of what you do?
Absolutely. It's the lifeblood of our band! It's a way to really see when a song is working or not! If the audience is moving along, you got a good thing going!
RAG: This album feels like a big undertaking, is there any advice you'd give to other up and coming bands out there?
I know this sounds cliche but keep going. Keep writing. You wrote a song? Great. Write 10 more, 100 more. I read that Michael Jackson wrote 300 songs for Thriller, and he only put 9 of them on that album. Hendrix's estate is still putting out things he wrote, and he passed away in 1970! I feel like what a successful artist looks like and what they actually are, are two different things. There are a lot of hours that go into writing and recording (and then performing) a song. But what the audience sees, what gets played on YouTube or on a talk show is only the 2-3min song. So, keep creating! The world needs more art.
RAG: What can your fans expect from you in the near future?
We have a single called Straight Lines - it's a banger as they (used to) say...but I'm biased! It's a big rock song, stuff we love to play! The drums, lyrics/singing and guitars (if I do say so myself) kick ass. We have a few more recorded and, on the way, we're also constantly writing so if you're following along there's no stopping here.
RAG: Before we go, what would you like to say to fans of the music?
Thank you for listening! It really does mean the world. There's no better feeling than making songs and performing them live for an audience. We'll keep making more and more music!
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