THE WANTS
With the minimal instrumentation of post-punk as their framework, The Wants— Madison Velding-VanDam (vocals/guitar/synth), Jason Gates (drums/live electronics), and Heather Elle (vocals/bass/synth) — inject the hypnotic pulse of Detroit techno into the practice of pop songwriting. Led by Velding-VanDam’s elusive duality of personas, which oscillate between earnestly romantic and unsettlingly deadpan, The Wants naturally forge a dark alley off the beaten path into danceable dissonance. Velding-VanDam’s vulnerable lyrics sometimes foray into the sardonically biting, reflecting the complex cycle of self-reflection of the current generation, while drawing from sources like the satire-of-power in Jenny Holzer’s “Inflammatory Essays,” and the midwestern heart of The National’s frontman Matt Berninger. Anthony “Shake” Shakir’s “Frictionalism (1994-2009)" and John Beltran’s “Ten Days of Blue” drew The Wants into the lush soundscapes and entrancing mood of electronic music.
