Q&A: Wilt Moved the Crowd Along at Shabang’s Ten Year Anniversary
Back in San Luis Obispo for its ten year anniversary, Shabang Music and Arts Festival returned this year with one of its most diverse and exciting lineups yet. The city’s Dairy Creek Golf Course was filled with good vibes all weekend long with some of the nation’s favorite artists ranging from Peach Pit, to DJ Mandy, to Thundercat. The colorful, vibrant festival was also swirling with creative vendors, food trucks, and a plethora of art from local artists.
In addition to the headlining acts, Shabang did a beautiful job at bringing a range of rising artists to the center stage. One of those standout artists is LA based indie bedroom-rock band Wilt. Made up of members Chelsea Rifkin, Aaron Liebman, Andrew Perrea, Daniel Bermudez, and Jake Shpiner, the group has already won the hearts of hundreds of thousands of listeners since their 2022 debut single. Wilt brought the heat and high energy to the Laguna Lake mainstage and Luna Collective was lucky enough to catch up with the band on their performance day. Keep reading for an exclusive interview and to experience Shabang’s ten year anniversary from Wilt’s point of view.
LUNA: Hey guys, thanks so much for taking the time to speak with us today and congrats on playing at Shabang! When you first heard that you were playing the festival, what was a song of yours that you absolutely knew had to be on the setlist?
WILT: Honestly, all of them! This was a longer set than we’ve ever played and we don’t have that many songs yet. So we actually got to add two covers! One of our top songs is ‘Move Along’. It’s super fun and moves the crowds but we also are excited to do a Weezer cover! We knew we needed a fire cover, so we wanted to add our interpretation of ‘Linger’ by the Cranberries that we’re really excited to play.
LUNA: You recently released a new self-titled EP which is beyond exciting! What was the inspiration behind it and do you have any favorite songs or lyrics from the EP?
WILT: This EP was kind of a wild one because we wrote them with the initial thought that they would actually be singles. We produced all of these songs with that as the plan then realized we should just produce it as an EP like an actual band haha. Basically, we realized that we needed an EP when we tried to make a single and it became way more than just a single. All of the songs ended up flowing and having cohesive themes and explorations throughout. They cover dark subject matters and trauma through a more upbeat and uplifting tone. All of our production and mixing is done in house! We were inspired by artists like Radiohead, Slow Pulp, and the Beaches. Collectively, I think our favorite song on the EP is ‘More Than This’. It hits the hardest and has great lyrics and good band moments from each one of us!
LUNA: The Slow Pulp and Beaches influences definitely shine through in the EP. Super curious to know, do you have any pre or post-show rituals prior to your performances?
WILT: Our tour rituals involve a whiskey neat and a pre-show poop. Jokes aside, we’ll let you in on a little secret. Our first tour that we went on was last year and the first show of that tour was in Portland at the Hawthorne Theatre. Every time we had rehearsal, we would be like “okay, guys. We’re backstage at the Hawthorne in Portland”. Now, before every single show, we’ll say that we’re backstage in Portland. We could literally be at Shabang in San Luis Obispo, but our hearts will be backstage at the Hawthorne. Right before we get on stage, we also put our hands in the center and say “3,2,1 poopy butthole”. Sometimes it’s quiet, sometimes we shout it. But we do it every single time.
LUNA: I absolutely love everything about that! This last question is a big one for your fans! Are there any upcoming shows or projects we can look forward to for 2024?
WILT: We aren’t allowed to talk about some of the things in store for this year yet, but we are working on a full length debut album to hopefully release by the end of the year. Stay tuned for more things to come!
