The Wildes are an award-winning alt-country band from Melbourne, Australia, formed in 2008 around the songs of lead singer Lachlan Bryan. They received praise and attention in their home country for debut album Ballad of a Young Married Man, released in April 2009 through Sydney record label Select Global, before briefly disbanding. The band reformed in 2013 under the name Lachlan Bryan and The Wildes and released the album Black Coffee in September of that year. The album debuted at #12 on the ARIA Australian Albums charts before going on to win a 2014 Golden Guitar for Alternative Country Album of the Year, as well as The Age Music Victoria Award for Best Country Album.
History
The Wildes began recording their debut album in early 2008 with ARIA award winning producer Jonathan Burnside. Most of the tracking was completed before the band played a gig together, though the founding members had played together in other Melbourne bands and been friends for some years. At the end of 2008 it was reported that The Wildes signed to Melbourne Blues label Black Market Music, but in early 2009 it was announced that the record would be released through Select Global. The album received strong reviews and was rated by many, including Radio NationalMusic Director Tim Ritchie, as a strong contender for album of the year. During 2009 The Wildes appeared on the main stage at The Gympie Muster and performed with artists outside the country genre including Gin Wigmore and The Basics. The title track of the album featured in Australian TV series Rescue and the video for the same track appeared on the Country Music Channel charts and is due for DVD Release on EMI's The Winners compilation in 2010. In late 2009 The Wildes composed and recorded music for Sean Genders' short film Edge of Reality, produced by Mat Hearne and starring Australian screen icon John Jarratt. After two years of solid touring, The Wildes began work on a follow up album titled Sweet Bird of Youth. The recordings were made in Adelaide with Burnside again at the helm. The band were unhappy with their performance in the studio and abandoned the record in early 2011. Bryan then signed a deal with new label Core Music and released solo albumShadow of the Gun. Members of The Wildes continued to tour with Bryan to support this album. In early 2014, the band reformed under the name Lachlan Bryan and The Wildes. They completed Black Coffee with producer Rod McCormack at The Music Cellar on the NSW central coast in June of that year, releasing the album in September. The title track is a tribute to Bryan's grandfather who taught him to take his coffee "sweet as sin, hot as hell, and black as pitch." Black Coffee debuted at #12 on the ARIA Australian Album Chart and reached #4 on the ARIA Country Album chart. Black Coffee was awarded the Golden Guitar for Alternative Country Album of the Year at the 2014 Country Music Awards of Australia. The award was presented to the band on 25 January 2014 by Shane Nicholson and Felicity Urqhart at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment Centre. The band also performed at the event. Later in 2014 Lachlan Bryan and The Wildes received The Age Music Victoria Award for Best Country Album.
Members
Lachlan Bryan: Vocals, Guitar
Mat Duniam: Drums, Vocals
Shaun Ryan: Bass
Discography
Albums Ballad of a Young Married Man Black Coffee The Mountain
