Wotts – blue (2023)
Known for their vintage pop sound, Canadian duo Wotts has been dragging people back to the 80s since 2020. Their nostalgic flair brings life into retro music and continues to turn heads across the globe. From the UK’s Mystic Sons and Turtle Tempo to France’s IGGY Magazine, the US’s The Luna Collective and Brazil’s Music For All, Jayem (vocals and multi-instrumentalist) and Ricky 100 (guitar and bass) made an impact on the blogosphere. Yet, it is not only blogs singing their praises as the lads garner a strong following from their notable performances. The latest addition to Wotts’ repertoire is the single ‘blue’.
Historically leaning on the 1980s synth-pop aesthetics, Wotts adds contemporary vibes to old-school charm; but now they are taking a step outside of that comfort zone. Following the indie-pop meets pop-rock single ‘wheel’, Jayem and Ricky 100 prove they are not to be pigeonholed with the new track ‘blue’.
The second release from the band’s upcoming EP garden, Wotts adopts a relaxing dream-pop tone tinged with elements of indie-rock and soul in ‘blue’. Made for modern-day audiences, there is a fresh indie-rock meets indie-pop flow to the song. Yet, while the lads bring a fresher vibe to ‘blue’, I feel the pair retain a strong 80s aesthetic to the music. The bold rock-inspired guitar adds a classic rock meets retro-soul tone to ‘blue’; however, the orchestral strings and light piano do insert a softer, smoother and more contemporary pop style.
“I think we’ll always have an element of nostalgia in our music, but there’s so many sub-genres in pop that inspire us. Going on these little creative adventures helps to keep things fresh.”– Jayem
Just as the melody holds its own, Wotts continue to show depth with poetic lyricism. While ‘wheel’ was about mortality, ‘blue’ takes a step back to reflect and find your way in life.
“Spring was a big inspiration on this one. The idea that everything feels new again, almost like a rebirth, really spoke to us. We wanted to create something that reminded us that it’s never too late to find your path…” – Jayem on ‘blue’
For more from Wotts, check out their Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Mussooup #sustainablecurator
