Some kind of Wonder-ful
Keyboard-led boy-girl ditties form the new debut album from London musical duo
What’s the deal? Josephine Vander Gucht and Anthony West met a few years back when Vander Gucht was casting about for someone to produce a planned solo album, bonded over their shared affinity for soft-pop songwriters such as James Taylor and Carole King, and quickly realized they worked rather nicely together as a duo.
Oh Wonder, briefly called Wonder Wonder at its inception, gave itself a rigorous creative workout right out of the gate, deciding it would write, record and release a song every month for a year. And, as luck would have it, the tuneful twosome — who tend to dodge questions about whether or not they’re a couple but live together in a home/studio in South London — swiftly found themselves with an enthusiastic audience. Beginning with “Body Gold” in September 2014, each of the breezy Oh Wonder singles posted monthly to Sound-Cloud logged listenership that, more often not, soared above the million mark.
Those harmonious, keyboard-led boy/girl ditties were collected, with a couple of new songs thrown in for good measure, this past September on an eponymous debut album that’s done rather well for the band despite the fact that most of the music is readily available for free online. So take that, industry wisdom.
Sum up what you do in a few simple sentences “We accidentally stumbled into Oh Wonder last year and it has catapulted us onto a journey that we could never have anticipated. We made a record in our home studio, which documented small stories about the lives of people around us and characters from our imagination.
“We are currently touring those small musical stories around the world and it’s a true joy being able to see the comfort that they have given thousands of people across the globe. This project has undeniably changed our lives but, more importantly, has had a profoundly positive impact on many other people’s lives. And for that we are forever grateful.”
What’s a song I need to hear right now? “Without You.” Feathery sweetness in the Chvrches vein.
Where can I see them play? On Jan. 23 at Adelaide Hall. Details at bit.ly/WonderAdelaide.