“Wild One” – Noah Proudfoot and The Botanicals

A little funk, a little soul, a dash of literary lyricism, and a healthy dose of indie rock, Noah Proudfoot and The Botanicals have mixed the perfect concoction with their new single “Wild One”. The single stands out as a chill song that you just want to blare while on a long roadtrip. Mixing modern musical styles like that of Tame Impala with an ethereal vintage melody, “Wild One” seems to be a slow exploration of the nuances of indie rock. Opening with an ear-catching guitar riff, the band joins in after a few seconds providing a clear sonic direction to the indie soundscape while shimmering synths accompany a toe-tapping beat of an 80s-esque gated snare. Undeniably, it’s the sound of this single that makes it a stand out track. The group’s musical cohesion is evident as they transition seamlessly between lyrical verses and funk-inspired instrumental breaks throughout the nearly six minute song. The texture of the lyrics fall effortlessly into the soundscape, making “Wild One” an exciting and energetic song on multiple levels.

North-Carolina-based quartet Noah Proudfoot and the Botanicals blend elements of funk, soul, and indie rock to create tight, danceable tracks that stand out on the basis of clever production and literary lyricism. That lyrical dexterity that is a prominent feature in the group’s music is expected; Noah Proudfoot delivered 2016’s Sing Sweet World as a solo act prior to the band’s formation, drawing on a Creative Writing major and a love of poetry to showcase smart, story-based tracks like “Literacy of Love” and “Human Song.” “I’ll labor over lines for weeks,” Proudfoot explains, “tweaking them until they fit just right.

To create the Botanicals, Noah’s brother Ben Stockdale was added on the drums. The pair were quickly joined by Rob Lenfestey on keys, and Kyle Nucilli on bass on bass to round out a genre-fused modern soul sound that evokes Traffic and Dispatch as much as it does Tame Impala and Hippo Campus. The band quickly developed a reputation within the Asheville music scene, with Mountain Xpress calling them “a band with a sound unlike any you’ll hear on the local scene.”

The ensemble delivered a five song EP in 2018 titled Travel Light; headlined by a single of the same name, the release earned sparkling local praise and garnered the group a series of festival performances over the course of the ensuing year. In 2019 the band re-entered the studio to begin work on a follow-up album. The resulting single, “Wild One,” premiered at the828.com and saw the band branch into more direct indie rock while maintaining a jam-band exuberance. “This song excited us because it gave us the freedom to explore the aesthetics and nuances of indie-rock, something we had yet to flesh out,” said Noah.

The album is slated for release in fall of 2020.

Connect with Noah Proudfoot and The Botanicals:

Instagram . Spotify . Website

Instagram . Spotify . Website