Brooklyn's Wilder Maker Release Last Single 'Static'

Brooklyn band Wilder Maker have shared 'Static', the third track taken from their upcoming album Male Models, due July 29th via Western Vinyl.

Following on from the digital isolation experienced in previous single "A Professional", and the exploration of apocalyptic depression in "Letter of Apology", new single 'Static' sets its scene "during a heatwave in NYC," explains singer-songwriter Gabriel Birnbaum.

He continues, "it touches on how violence in our culture tends to simmer under the surface in subtle ways that we overlook until they explode into something really horrific. It's loosely inspired by a friend I had who used to get drunk and bait people into fights that he meant to lose. It features my friend V.V. Lightbody on vocals, an amazing singer and multi-instrumentalist from Chicago whose solo work I'm a huge fan of."

Featuring a dynamic roster of musicians that includes singer-songwriter Gabriel Birnbaum, Nick Jost and Sean Mullins as the core trio, Male Models also boasts guest lead vocal spots from Adam Duritz (Counting Crows), Katie Von Schleicher, Felicia Douglass (Dirty Projectors, Ava Luna), Alex Schaaf (Yellow Ostrich), V.V. Lightbody, and Mutual Benefit.

Ask Gabriel Birnbaum what inspired Male Models and he'll mention everything from American novelist James Salter and the NBA playoffs to Thin Lizzy and the delicate tightrope of positive masculinity. These reference points might sound arbitrary to the uninitiated listener, but together they provide some insight into the creation of an album that somehow succeeds at being both an apocalyptic novel of ideas and the most cohesive party playlist that you've ever heard.

Male Models was recorded live over several days and despite his status as the frontman and principal songwriter of Wilder Maker, Birnbaum's voice can only be heard singing lead on seven of the twelve songs. The remaining tracks have guest vocalists taking the mic, unveiling an impressive lineup that includes (but isn't limited to) Counting Crows' Adam Duritz, Katie Von Schleicher, and Jordan Lee (aka Mutual Benefit). Like guests at a strange afterparty, when you hear these accomplished vocalists recount Birnbaum's tales of unrequited love, drunkenness, and desperation, it feels almost voyeuristic, as if you were sitting in a crowded cocktail bar, sneaking glances at nearby tables.

"We all listen to playlists a lot, even us album diehards" Birnbaum admits, "I've been keeping an ever-expanding playlist of songs that I never want to skip, with all of these different voices back to back. I wanted to make a record that sounded like a playlist in this way; it became a kind of songwriting challenge for me."

Male Models succeeds in capturing the energy of a crowded party and its accompanying playlist without losing the philosophical underpinnings of its concept. Musically, it also changes shape constantly. Across the 12 songs of the album, listeners will hear electrified soul, heartfelt folk songs, indie rock, and searing barn burners, all of which are expertly tethered by Birnbaum's sardonic and doom-laden storytelling.

Watch the new music video here: