After going platinum with Are You Bored Yet?, Wallows have finished their gameplay and pressed ‘START’ on a new release, titled Remote. To install the game, you will require a free disc space of 16 minutes, as the folder includes 6 audio files and 3 music videos.
Wallows are based in Los Angeles and consist of Dylan Minnette, Braeden Lemasters, and Cole Preston. They began releasing music at the start of 2017, reaching Spotify’s Global Viral 50 Chart with Pleaser. After signing their record deal with Atlantic Records, they were able to release their debut EP Spring, which featured the lead track These Days. These Days, as of Autumn 2020 has over 63 million individual listens on Spotify.
To warm-up, we’ll need to stretch our legs and jump along to the Virtual Aerobics workout routine. This music video is a perfect example of how to stay creative and positive during an apocalypse: all you need is a green screen! They have used the green screen for the most important of purposes – visiting San Francisco, vibing in the clouds, and dancing in their Nikes.
Dylan, Cole, and Braeden might look like weird kids during a gym class, but they are smiling and clearly enjoying themselves. What makes this music video even better, is that there was not a single moment when the band’s dancing was in sync. As Dylan himself replied to their Instagram post: ‘first take = best take.‘
Wallows fans may be pleasantly surprised hearing more of Braeden’s vocals on this EP, rather than just supporting vocalist Dylan Minnette. The first time you can really notice this is on Dig What You Dug: Dylan and Braeden’s harmonies are both warm and funky and go really well together. Some music lovers might see some similarities to artists like Declan McKenna or FINNEAS, but Wallows still have their signature drinking-cranberry-juice-while-skating-on-a-highway TikTok vibe.
Their heartfelt track Coastlines addresses the issues of a couple’s long-distance relationship. Minnette has said that he often experiences this with his girlfriend Lydia Night, who is the frontwoman and songwriter for The Regrettes. They both tour worldwide, providing a firsthand perspective for the song’s sentiment.
Wish Me Luck is the final track of the EP, one of the few songs that they played live on their virtual online tour. This song fits well with the band’s Stranger Things aesthetic and would fit well on an episode’s soundtrack. The music videos for the EP have illustrated Dylan Minnette’s brilliant acting range, seeing much more of his personality through these shoots. These upbeat videos have shown the more fun-loving and less serious side of Minnette, something we are eager to see more of.
