PREMIERE | WUT, 'Mingling with the Thorns'
The wondrously jagged, jangle pop world of WUT; press photo courtesy of the artists.
The 2020s have largely cast away the compartmentalized crutches of irony and facetious insincerity. After the involuntary undertaking of intense separation spells and witnessing the fragility of societal and civic systems that we once took for granted; there is a trend toward living out personal and creative truths wholeheartedly. Earnest expressions of contemporary life in the imperfect tense, anecdotal exhibitions of import that chronicle the connections, disconnections, and disturbances that have an impact on us and our communities are the key components to the most relevant and relatable arts. And while the pandemic is still very much with us, the future of democracy TBD, all of this and more in a world plagued by growing instability — meaningful, mindful, movements, and modes of creativity are critical for finding a higher frequency of spiritual, social, and civil consciousness.
Engaging with our shared world that is weird, widely repugnant, with striking elements of unlimited wonder [not to mention potential prosperity] are Vancouver’s rising vanguards of egalitarian enlightenment — WUT — presenting a debut listen to their new album Mingling with the Thorns via the distinguished DIY institution HHBTM. The central talents of Kaity McWhinney, Tracey Vath (both from Knife Pleat, Love Cuts), and Lauren Smith (of Tough Age, Jock Tears) deliver the successor to their brilliant 2020 visual album NOW with a record that swims through the undertows and riptides toward calmer, kinder, more sane, and sensible seas. Through collaboration that carried through eras of quarantines and sheltering in place, WUT edify and exalt the underground sound scenes established by the Shop Assistants, We've Got a Fuzzbox and We're Going To Use It, Talulah Gosh, Heavenly, etcetera into a full on creative platform to portray the cracked communities of our current era and the sacred, eternal search for the self, heart and soul (within a society that is turned sideways like a funhouse hallway).
"Powering Through" is about getting through the drudgery of it all intact that operates with a delicate balance of whimsy and the focus of pure subsistence. The spirit of the mid-80s undergrounds shines through with a song that could have been a long lost mid-80s cult cassette classic with the endearing and empathetic beauty of "Here For You", to tackling the antiquated hubris of the patriarchy and all the corresponding obsolete and onerous behaviors of mansplaining and its ilk on the humorous and poignant "Quiet Quiet". The title track immerses itself within the universe of organic matter, a green house adventure that sorts through the whole clusters, leaves, petals, thorns and more that mixes metaphors that pertains to the good, the bad, and the downright prickly.
The pep and rhythmic step of "Get Out" skips out of the routines and comfort zones for new paradigms, as "Guts, Brains" takes on the concepts of unchecked confidence and obstinance that drives many to be poor listeners and woefully ignorant on account of their own narrow mindedness. Sentimental spirals are sorted out on "Your Feelings" that reels through the feels [that also features vocal contributions from Christina Riley of Artsick, Burnt Palms], as "Alleys With You" traverses down the pathways less traveled outside the main street routes and thoroughfares of the familiar. "Beuys Oh Beuys" dispels the mythologies behind the cis male grifters that permeate our realities, histories, the charlatans that pose as gurus, innovators, self-appointed/self-congratulation godheads, demagogues, cult leaders, CEOs, tech startup founders, and other such inflated hierarchal titles.
Conversations and coursing into the unknown of finding new folks are explored on "Talking to Strangers" that extols the importance of exploring crucial and imperative inquiries, right before WUT leaves the stage with the melancholic finale "When I'm Gone" that comforts their crowd with a song of warmth and care to keep on keeping on once a certain era has ran its course. Mingling with Thorns walks through the briar and bramble laden rose gardens of life, pondering the pleasure and the pain dichotomies of human existence, an exploration of the agony, the ecstasy, and all the experiences that occupy the passage of time.
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Kaity McWhinney and Tracey Vath shared a host of generous insights and exclusive details on the making of Mingling with the Thorns:
Beholding the world from the balcony with WUT; press photo courtesy of the artists.
Tracey: The songs on Mingling with the Thorns were written during two years of intermittent quarantines in which we worked on songs independently, and shared our ideas through emails and sound files. This process of songwriting, and not being able to jam it out made it easy for us to get caught in loops of rewriting song parts over and over. By the time we were able to fully start getting together and practicing again, we had multiple versions of most of our songs. Just weeks before we were scheduled to record, we spent time together at Lauren’s cabin in the woods to finalize the songs. This album really felt like a long haul, and it's something that we are relieved to have come to completion, and grateful that we are able to share it.
“Powering Through”
Tracey: Relationships, romantic and otherwise, often go through phases. Levels of intimacy fluctuate, and connections can lose and gain strength. Sometimes it can feel like together you are an unstoppable force, and other times it can feel like you are both fumbling through life. I wrote this song while thinking back to the beginnings of a relationship and how different it feels compared to a partnership of 10 years.
“Here for You”
Tracey: "Here for You" is a song that describes running into someone who has caused harm to your friend, and therefore supporting your friend in any way that they need. Unfortunately, it is all too common to be out in the world and suddenly find yourself in the same space as your abuser. In these situations, I want to be there for my friends in whatever ways they want.
“Quiet Quiet”
Tracey: “Quiet Quiet” has been said to be our feminist bookstore song. I think it actually makes some people feel uncomfortable when we play it live. However, it's not a song about how we want all men to shut up; it's a song that targets a certain type of man—the common family patriarch. We’re talking about the fathers whose opinions out rule all others, the men who ask questions but don't listen to answers, and the guys who act like they want to have a discussion but really are just searching for an opportunity to vent and dump their aggressions out on whoever will listen.
“Mingling with the Thorns”
Tracey: We refer to this song as “Pessimist” because I am always jokingly calling myself a pessimist, and this song is a comparison of my outlook of life to my partner's more optimistic way of viewing the world. However, the song's meaning goes deeper than that because I experience the world through the lens of a woman with multiple unseen disabilities. I’m not saying that these experiences have made me a pessimist, but I’ve had to make peace with where I am at, which sometimes feels like I'm mingling with the thorns.
“Get Out”
Tracey: I wrote “Get Out” after realizing that I no longer need to pretend to care or be nice to people who have hurt me. I spent a lot of time and energy acting as if things were fine, when in reality I was still deeply hurting. It's okay to repair relationships—if you want to, and it's okay to forgive and forget—if you want to. But it's also okay not to want to do those things. I can leave relationships behind, and I don't need to forgive someone if I don't want to.
Cover art for Mingling with the Thorns courtesy of the artists.
“Guts, Brains”
Tracey: Lauren had introduced Kaity and me to the folk pop trio the Roches, and we were really inspired by the way they intertwine vocal parts through their songs. We had the basic structure of “Guts, Brains” written for a long time, but it felt like it was missing something special. So, looking at the Roches, Kaity added some layers of melody throughout the song, which we feel really made it complete. I wrote the lyrics to “Guts, Brains” after meeting a particular type of art student while in art school. These students were so unabashedly confident in their own ideas and abilities and would reject the notion that their work could benefit from any further exploration. Moving away from art school, I see this type of self-assurance reflected in so many personalities. I think we all know people who resist the work of self-examination and have a fear of their own ideas being challenged. “Guts, Brains” is a song about how we need to listen and learn from each other instead of always trusting our own personal guts, brains, and feelings.
“Your Feelings”
Kaity: Not everyone has the same capacity for sharing what’s going on for them. This song is about the energy between two people where a lot is being unsaid and the uncomfortable feelings that come from trying to connect with someone who isn’t ready or able to. Trying to find a balance between giving them space to feel comfortable, while advocating for your own needs, and trying to fight off being overly invested in their feelings, while still prioritizing and taking responsibility for your own.
“Alleys with You”
Tracey: In this song, I use walking the alleyways as a metaphor for not following the status quo. It's a bit of a love song for my partner, who I have spent countless hours with wandering alleys here in Vancouver. There's beauty in doing your own thing and, for me, even more beauty in finally finding someone who wants to live that way along beside you.
“Beuys oh Beuys”
Tracey: “Beuys oh Beuys” is a song centered around the German Fluxus artist Joseph Beuys. The song is kind of half appreciation/half criticism. Beuys created stories about himself in which he was depicted as a victim, shaman, healer, and savior. So, in the song, I say that he wasn't really any of those things, he was just a man in control — and what's so radical about that? The lyrics are a bit tongue-in-cheek, as I do think that Beuys was a great artist who had revolutionary ideas about art and politics, but I also thought it would be fun and fitting to use him as a reference to the boys, oh boys who hold excessive space and power in art scenes.
“Talking to Strangers”
Kaity: This song is about starting to date again after being in a long-term relationship. Meeting new people and trying to manage expectations around timing and communication. Intentionally working towards figuring out what you want and talking about it honestly, even if it’s something that you don’t know yet. Asking the question, talking about the thing, and experiencing your feelings as they come up without judgment. It’s about having compassion for yourself when you don’t know what you want yet, and trying to show up as honestly as possible.
“When I’m Gone”
Kaity: This song is about the total breakdown of communication between two people who have tried, for probably too long, to make things work. Fantasizing about ending the relationship, when it feels all efforts have been exhausted, and there’s no hope. The grief is real, even if you want it to end. In the bridge, I’m referencing a period of denial, where sometimes an intense visceral experience, in my case it was having my kitchen flooded with hot water, can pull you out of your thoughts and help you realize and acknowledge the truth of your situation. You’re ready to move on.
Mingling with the Thorns from WUT will be available April 23 via HHBTM Records.