A Closer Look at Wilmette

SPOONS
7 minutes ago
2 min read

(I must preface this with the fact that while our bands have worked together, this piece is unpaid & unsolicited. I will try to write with a least personal bias, as possible).

Initially, I lined up and recorded an interview with the band. Unfortunately, between the trains & general outdoor Chicago background noise, the audio was not only unusable, but inaudible for transcription. No excuses, and lesson learned:(

Instead, we'll be taking a deeper dive into what makes Wilmette so cool, yet at the same time, so unique within the scene.

I first discovered Wilmette in the winter of 2018, following the release of their debut EP "Space To Breathe." This 5 song collection would eventually turn the band into one of my favorites. I still think this band is also one of the most slept on bands in the scene, still.

The general soundscape of pop-punk focused music has gotten...formulaic, generic and just basic. What a breath of fresh air to discover this band, who incorporate everything from hardcore breakdowns, to progressive "mathy" aspects, having different songs within the same project in different time signatures, hardcore fry screams accompanied with the per smooth clean vocals as well, audible dynamics as well as dynamics within songwriting; it seemingly has all the ingredients for a recipe for a band & sound that includes what the majority of the generic lacked.

This is only what initially pulled me into really digging this band. The next year they dropped "Anxious Body" EP another 5 song offering but this time more refined. From the title track to "Winter Stay" you can feel the organic angst, frustration, and literal anxiety within the music; from the more intricate guitar fills, to within the lyrics "So I crashed my car into my [retty little meshed up world, when will I ever learn that I come first?" back to back banger EPs.

Then Self Titled EP 2020 & "Hyperfocused" 2023 2 more banger projects, from the EP to the album, respectively. Definitely more refined songs as you can hear the evolution within the music. Despite lineup & label changes, they've only continued to grow while only (generally)playing local & regional shows & festivals.

What makes them unique in my eyes is that (in my personal experience) usually bands within this general soundscape have to have one of these things to sustain ~15k monthly Spotify listeners: heavy touring, heavy social media influence, Spotify editorial playlist placement or algorithmic feature to a much bigger band...this band has none of that. Not at a slight to them at all, just factually, its more likely in a situation like this for a band to have to work extremely hard, or find success in at least one of(if not multiple) of these aforementioned fields.

The fact they still have a dedicated, organic fanbase is amazing to see, and unique imo.