Wednesday’s newest single is as sweet as a glass of elderberry wine.
If Wednesday labels themselves as a “quilt/patchwork of portraits of the American South,” then their newest single, “Elderberry Wine,” flips the blanket over, exposing a new, more refined and calm side of the band’s sound. The Asheville alt-rock band’s first single in over two years seems to stray away from their fuzzy, shoegazey sound featured on their previous projects. Instead, Wednesday substitutes it with a more tender and patient approach.
Wednesday’s catalog of music has blossomed into an open story book. It’s a gaze into the lives of members of a band that grew up in the south, growing disheartened and frustrated, yet inspired, by their lived experiences. “Elderberry Wine” is no different as front-woman Karly Hartzman uses the song as a vessel to sing of the potential that the sweet things in life can turn sour if not tended and cared for appropriately, such as love or friendship. The title itself serves as a metaphor for elderberries, being a naturally poisonous fruit, if picked, aged, and tended for properly can produce a sweet tasting wine. On the contrary, if something is not given appropriate attention, it will end up like the pink boiled eggs, afloat in the brine, rotten and sour.
While “Elderberry Wine” is a slight differentiation to the band’s known, tried and true sound, it is still the same talented Wednesday band we love. Hartzman’s vocals are soft and lush; her songwriting continues to convene a sense of wisdom through lived experience. MJ Lenderman’s gentle yet beautiful fingerpicking complimented by Xandy Chelmis’ phenomenal pedal steel performance both caress the melody, carrying it to the end of the song, where the whole band joins in to showcase the full potential of Wednesday’s new sound.
Listen to “Elderberry Wine” by Wednesday now!
Tune in to 100.1 FM or lightning100.com all day to hear “Elderberry Wine” by Wednesday, Steph’s DJ Pick of the Week! Also, share your thoughts on the track by tagging #L100DJPicks on Twitter!
