As they wrap up their current tour with Australian heavyweights Dream On Dreamer this week, Naarm duo Wayside today return with their captivating new single “Proud Of You”. The new release demonstrates a change of pace following their recent double single “Parallax Error”/ “Asymmetry”, and sees the band join forces once again with Grammy-nominated producer Will Yip (Turnstile / Title Fight / Balance & Composure).
Continuously evolving and pushing their creative boundaries, “Proud Of You” is a departure from Wayside’s dreamier side and instead dials up the intensity, leaning into heavier elements of their emotive, melodic songwriting and seamlessly blending different tones and textures.
Lyrically, it navigates the concept of letting go, as vocalist Thomas Davenport shares: “Sometimes to love someone is to let them go. ‘Proud Of You’ explores the notions of years of wanting to give someone everything they’ve ever wanted, and slowly coming to the realisation that it wasn’t supposed to be from me.”
“Proud Of You” is Wayside’s third release since their acclaimed 2021 debut album Shine Onto Me. The band’s striking double single “Parallax Error” / “Asymmetry” was released last month, and received an abundance of support both locally and across the globe. “Parallax Error” debuted on BBC Radio 1’s The Rock Show as Tune of the Week, and attracted praise and airplay from triple j, Unearthed and community radio. The tracks also found a home with the likes of Pilerats, Tone Deaf, Sounds of Oz, and HEAVY Mag, plus international titles Alternative Press, Brooklyn Vegan, Ones To Watch and more.
When Thomas Davenport and Josh Ehmer––the duo at the center of Wayside––were kids, it wasn’t uncommon to see bands like Limp Bizkit and Deftones sandwiched between massive pop stars like Britney Spears or NSYNC on MTV’s TRL. Later, they found community in their local music scene, and idolized records like Citizen’s Youth, Title Fight’s Hyperview, and Superheaven’s Jar––all of which were produced by the Philadelphia-based, Grammy-nominated producer Will Yip.
It’s at the centre of these varying influences––radio-ready pop, aggressive grunge, and spacey shoegaze––that Wayside found its stride. Naturally, as they started the process of making their long-awaited second full-length LP, the duo flew across the globe to make it come to life in Yip’s now-legendary Studio 4.
“We were asked what our #1 goal as artists were, to which we both replied…to work with Will Yip,” vocalist/guitarist Thomas Davenport says. “From the very beginning songwriting was always our number one focus, so to be given the opportunity to work with Will was quite literally a dream come true. We both followed his career and had tremendous respect for him as a producer, but more importantly, as a songwriter.”
After the worldwide success of Wayside’s debut album, Shine Onto Me, released in 2021, the band amassed 3 million streams on Spotify, and gained support and glowing reviews from Vogue, NPR Radio, Brooklyn Vegan, NME, Triple J and Alternative Press. FLOOD Magazine quoted “What’s definitely in these songs is movement—a feeling of free-floating, a dizzying sensation constructed vaguely with elastic riffs and airy vocals”.
WAYSIDE
SUPPORTING DREAM ON DREAMER
Friday 25th August 2023 – The Triffid, Brisbane QLD
Saturday 26th August 2023 – Crowbar, Sydney NSW
For tickets and more information visit dreamondreamerband.com
