In advance of the Aussie hard rockers’ fourth record, Victorious (out February 19), Wolfmother has debuted the anthemic, hard-hitting title track. Paying tribute to ‘80s rockers like AC/DC and Guns ‘N Roses, the single puts both lead singer Andrew Stockdale’s explosive, rock-ready voice and a chorus of chugging guitars at the forefront. On the song, as on the entire record, the frontman wrote and recorded vocals, guitar, and bass parts.
“Back in the early days, I’d play guitar, bass, and drums and then present the ideas to the band and we’d work on the arrangement together,” said Stockdale in a statement. “I thought it would be cool to get back to demoing ideas by myself and playing everything. It’s a good way to do things because it can make the style more cohesive.”
Stockdale, along with his two studio drummers Josh Freese (Nine Inch Nails, Bruce Springsteen) and Joey Waronker (Air, Beck, R.E.M.), recorded the new LP in January at his studio in the beachside Australian town of Byron Bay. “We wanted to get back to that big sound,” continued Stockdale. “The album is a balance of garage-y energy and big production. It’s wild, energetic and perfect for a festival main stage.”
The frontman has big aspirations, but his group Wolfmother have the accolades to back up the claims including an eponymous debut which sold 1.5 million records (via Billboard), a Grammy (for Best Hard Rock Performance), and performances at Coachella, Lollapalooza, and Reading and Leeds in the U.K. But the band lost steam after its 2006 breakout record due, in part, to lineup changes and drama in the band.
Stockdale and varying band members released two records since the debut: 2009’s Cosmic Egg and 2014’s New Crown, neither of which had the global success of the 2006 debut record.
We’ll have to wait and see where Victorious takes the group, now a three-piece, when it drops in the new year.
