Playing free shows in pub corners and bar basements, building a word-of-mouth reputation as something quite special, The Wants have recently been following in the time-honoured tradition of hype bands across the decades, busily laying the groundwork for their full-blown arrival in 2020. The post-punk trio, consisting of Madison Velding-VanDam, Heather Elle (both also of Bodega) and drummer Jason Gates, have already been pricking up ears with the dark, slinky grooves of 'Fear My Society' and the angular rhythms of 'Clearly A Crisis'.
There is a good feeling surrounding Madison as we speak, our chat coming the day after the band's debut album was finally finished and handed in. Three years in the making, it's a surprise when he reveals just how long ago The Wants came into being. "Oh yeah, The Wants started at the same time as Bodega. We completed [the record] once before, it had a lot of similar songs, but we ended up refining the skin of them this time around."
Having met Jason back in 2014, he instantly forged a strong relationship with the drummer before the final piece of the puzzle slotted into place when bassist Heather joined the band. Playing primarily in their base of New York, the trio began to lean heavily into some classic post-punk sounds as well as a love for performance itself. "I fell in love with Gang Of Four obviously" he begins, "And I've always known and loved David Byrne. I saw 'Stop Making Sense' [Byrne's 1984 concert film] so much when I was a kid. I always appreciated that he incorporated elements of theatre into his music. Bands like Gang Of Four, they recognised the artifice and had a real ability to give a message and create a universe with their lyrics and visuals."
