When I saw that Wildwood Kin are to appear on the bill of ‘A Perfect Day’ Festival which is being hosted at Powderham Castle just outside Exeter on Sunday 3rd July, I thought it would be a great opportunity to catch up with the ladies and have a chat about what they’ve been up to lately and try and tease out them some information on any new material….
Ladies, I don’t think that we’ve spoken since the lockdown kicked off in 2020, sum up the last 2 years for me in a couple of sentences….
It’s been a real reset, time of reflection and rest, stepping back and thinking about how we want to move forward in a fresher way that’s not rushed or reactive but intentional and steady. It has been a bit of a rollercoaster, lots of uncertainty, stops and starts but we’ve had to trust the journey and process.
How tough has it been on you as a band not being able to perform and having to re-schedule live dates time and time again over the past couple of years?
It has been very tough, quite a shock to the system in good ways and bad. I think we realised that we were a little burnt out and needed the rest at first, but also it feels like part of your identity had been stripped away when the gigging stopped, not to mention the financial side of things being really rocky too which I’m sure every musician has felt the pressure of.
The creative flow would come and go for us all and we were unable to see each other for most of the year due to lockdowns and restrictions which was really sad and when we finally had plans in place we knew we couldn’t hold them too tightly and got used to the reality of cancellations and postponements.
But we do feel hopeful and that we’ve learned a lot about ourselves as individuals and assessed our boundaries and desires moving forward as individuals and as a band.
What have you been doing to keep yourselves busy?
Hopefully people will be pleased to know we have been writing with the hope to bring out some new music this year!
Meg started studying during lockdown for a degree in theology and ethics which has been something she’s wanted to pursue for a while which has kept her busy, Beth started up a photography business and I (Emillie) moved up country, planned a wedding which had been postponed twice due to covid and got married which has been a real adjustment! We were also asked to join singer-songwriter Birdy’s band for a couple of special shows for her comeback album release which was an amazing opportunity and really re-ignited our passion for singing and jamming with other musicians. It was a real honour to be asked to be a part of that and was refreshing to focus on another artists songs, learning lyrics and arrangements which helped us to feel productive during some very quiet months for us as a band.
I saw that you’re on the bill for ‘A Perfect Day’ Festival which is being held at Powderham Castle on Sunday 3rd July, how does it feel to be playing a large event in your home County?
We feel so honoured to be a part of this amazing line-up and for it to be a home show feels very special. To open for these amazing acts is so exciting and we’re looking forward to it so much!
You’ll be sharing the stage with The Shires, Gabrielle, Tom Odell, James Morrison and David Gray, which of these are you particularly excited about seeing?
They’re all amazing artists and we’ll definitely enjoy watching every one of them, but we’ve never seen James Morrison play live before and we grew up listening to his songs so we’re really excited to hear him play!
You’re also booked to play the Black Deer Festival in June, do your festival shows seem to be similar? As in the songs that you perform or do you tend to mix them up a bit?
We do mix things up depending on the crowd, time of day, length of our set etc and are intentional about reflecting the vibe of the festival in that way. Black Deer as a country/americana festival have been really supportive of our music even though we wouldn’t call ourselves country but it’s exciting for us to be able to cross over different festival genres so that we can connect and get to know a variety of artists and communities.
You’re on the road in September for your ’Move On Out’ tour of the UK, culminating in a homecoming show in Exeter, are there any venues on the tour that you’re really looking forward to? (other than Exeter obvs!)
Exeter is always amazing for us, everyone feels like family which we love and feel very blessed to be able to play in our home county! We have been looking forward to playing The Deaf Institute in Manchester for some time. We supported a band there when we started out and have wanted to go back since. It’s an amazing venue and we’re so pleased it was saved during lockdown when it was at risk of closing down which we were devastated about, so it feels even more special now that we know we’re able to play a headline show there this year, plus we love the Manchester crowd, they’re always so much fun and so hospitable.
Your music is incredible will your fans be treated to any new music in the near future?
Thank you that’s really kind! Yes! The plan is to bring out new music. We have been taking things steadily and not rushing the process this time but we’re very eager to get some new music out there and to add to our live repertoire for sure! We hope people will enjoy what’s to come and we’re excited to share new things with everyone.
Lastly, what is your idea of a ‘Perfect Day’?
A perfect day collectively for all of us would probably start with a good cooked breakfast actually, followed by a long walk in the countryside on a not-too hot, not-too cold sunny day and a picnic with our loved ones including cake and tea (very important) followed by an evening next to a cozy fire, watching a Disney film or playing board games…and more tea probably.
So there you have it folks, directly from the mouth (or hand) of Emilie, new material is on the way from a refreshed, revived and recently married (Emilie only) Wildwood Kin.
Tickets for ‘A Perfect Day’ at Powderham Castle go on sale on Friday 18th February, you can purchase yours by clicking HERE
