Wild Child Album Release Show At Heights Theater

The wait is finally over for listeners of the Texas-based, Ukulele-infused, folk rockers of Wild Child. The band just released their latest studio album, Expectations, featuring successful singles such as Sinking Ship and Back & Forth, both of which have trickled onto the group’s streaming pages over the past few months and collectively raked in 2 million streams on Spotify alone. In support of the new album, the band has been venturing around Texas over the past several days playing free shows for their local fan base. Most recently, the six members of Wild Child graced the city of Houston with their presence, putting on an excellent performance at the intimate Heights Theater located in the heart of one of Houston’s most sought after living districts. Recently renovated from old movie theater into indie-band hotbed, the Heights Theater was the perfect setting for a first listen of several unreleased tracks off the new album. Of course, the band made sure to play all-time favorites like Pillow Talk but delicately satisfied the curiosity of all in attendance about the unreleased tunes from Expectations. Adding to the excitement of the evening was Beggins’ return to his hometown of Houston.

For those unfamiliar with the band, Wild Child first made headway in the music realm with the release of Pillow Talk back in 2011. Although lead singer, Kelsey Wilson joked with the audience that every time the group releases an album they believe it to be their last, deep down they all know that they will never truly be able to stop because of how much they love it. After Pillow Talk, the band released albums in 2013 and 2015 and have been seen to perform around the U.S. and are always a crowd favorite at Austin’s ACL Festival that takes place in October each year.

This desire to create new and inspiring music certainly shows itself in the unique sound of Wild Child’s music, which pays ode to simpler times dreamt about in the hustle and bustle of modern society. Traversing their discography, one hears the sounds of a ukulele, cello, violin fusing together so simply but powerful enough to drown out the chaos of city living and an industrial society. Their live performance does nothing but amplify this ethos by pulling the audience into a warm hearth that feels as if the show is taking place out in the woods near a campfire among friends and family. Last night, in particular, Wilson and Ukulele front-man, Alexander Beggins, dismissed the remainder of the band to perform a few songs just the two of them in a near-acoustic manner. The only reason the duo remained plugged in was to ensure that all members of the crowded room were able to hear the performance. Nonetheless, the campfire vibes continued on as the two sauntered subtle nothings and playful insults back in forth during the breaths of their duet, reminiscent of a young couple playfully in love.

As is now common ritualistic among live performers, the group took a less-than-surprising exit from the stage near the end of the night but shortly thereafter returned for brief encore to close out their set. To no surprise, fans lingered around the stage despite idle threats from venue personnel asking them to leave in the hopes that they could grab a piece of the bands equipment or a set list as a memento of the joyful evening. Luckily for those unable to get such an item, the band ultimately wound up hanging around the merch table as fans exited the venue and proceeded to take countless pictures and autograph vinyls as well as shirts and other memorabilia.

One last item that certainly must be addressed from last night’s performance: a couple got engaged in the middle of the set! Congratulations are certainly in order for Collin and Kensey and a major thanks in order for Wild Child for allowing the two on stage to take the big step!

The band is embarking upon a major U.S. tour in the coming days and is a performance that cannot be missed. Check out their tour schedule to see them in your town: https://www.wildchildsounds.com/shows/

Coverage by Marshall Heins II

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