The Wants drop ’87 Gas’ single and video – Out now
The Wants (Photo by Madison Carroll)
“87 Gas” is the first single taken from the upcoming new album “Bastard” by the electronic post-punk trio The Wants. “Bastard” is set for release on June 13th 2025 via STTT and is available now for preorder now.
Today, the band releases “87 Gas“, the first single and video off the album: “I wrote the first demo of this song while stranded in Pennsylvania, inspired by daily trips to Wawa.” explains Velding-VanDam, “87 Gas” is a playful reflection on youthful ambition and rebellion rubbing up against alienation and monotony. The song’s mantra and instrumentation chart the repetition of daily life. As fantasy and reality grow further apart, the tension between the two can ultimately drive you crazy. Notable on this track is Yasmeen’s bass, which is live (as opposed to the synth bass she often uses throughout the album). She incorporated Middle Eastern influences with a hypnotic bassline that lends a languidness to an otherwise taut song, whereas I sought out the ugliest notes on guitar. Like many of the tracks on the album, this tension is what ultimately brought the song together.”
If you remember the sound of their 2020 debut “Container”, you will notice that the sound of the NYC-based trio has evolved, and that is no coincidence. Following a run of sold-out UK and EU shows for “Container”, The Wants’ Madison Velding-VanDam and Jason Gates welcomed synthesist/bassist Yasmeen Night (of NightNight).
The new album “Bastard” was deeply influenced by personal tragedy. Shortly after Christmas 2019, Velding-VanDam received news that his father had been found dead in his Michigan trailer, having been deceased for eight days. The aftermath of this discovery – finding hoarded belongings, towers of empty liquor bottles, oxycodone containers, and grime-covered childhood photos became the emotional backdrop for the album’s creation.
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