Wild Yaks Return with New Album 'Monumental Deeds'

Rockaway Beach's very own Wild Yaks are back, marking their triumphant return with Monumental Deeds, the band's sixth album (depending on who's counting) in a nearly two-decade-long career.

Set to be released on June 21, 2024, the album encapsulates the essence of Wild Yaks - a raw, unhinged energy coupled with intricate songwriting that oscillates between triumphant anthems and poignant reflections on love lost. 

Monumental Deeds serves as a testament to the band's evolution, blending the raw energy of their legendary live performances with a multi-dimensional songwriting style. Produced by Jack Dawson and recorded over two years in Red Hook, NY, the album features 10 tracks that explore themes of hope and self-awareness.

Wild Yaks are thrilled to unveil the lead single from the album, "See That Girl," available now.

Wild Yaks are also announcing two Brooklyn shows in support of the upcoming release. The band will be playing a free show on April 20 in Brooklyn at Floyd Bennett Field (Public Arts Festival) and on June 15 at TV Eye with Shilpa Ray. Additional shows will be announced in the coming weeks.

Reflecting on their journey, frontman Rob Bryn shares, "The outstanding feature of Wild Yaks now is longevity. Almost 20 years ago, I started writing songs as a way to navigate the complexities of life and love. From the streets of Rockaway Beach to the heart of New York City, our music has been shaped by our experiences and the people we've met along the way."

Rob Bryn on the band's members and history:

"How many men did I reform and make into wild yaks? How many hearts have I broken kicking them out?"

The band's early songs were all about my ex-girlfriend. She is Tomahawk that was a nickname I had for her. River May Come is about the fatalistic inevitability of our separation. The textile factory was being turned into art studios. A guy named Josh Sitron built a recording studio. He heard me singing my songs in the hallway and invited me into his world. He recorded my first demo. My brother moved in. He played bass with and sometimes floor tom. The summer he started construction on Roberta’s Pizza I went to house sit and garden sit in the Hollywood Hills. I got booked a show and decided to put a band together. Jeremy Konner who would go on to co-create Drunk History played the bowed saw like Appalachia like ghosts singing. Jason Ritter, John Ritter’s son played the bass or the trombone or the drums I forget? Louie played the drums? Mark Schoenecker played the recorder. Jeremy was Jack Black’s assistant. Jack Black was off making a movie that was never finished because a Wilson brother tried to kill himself. We rehearsed in jack black’s movie theater in his Beverly Hills mansion. After we played we’d get stoned and watch BBC Planet Earth. We had a show booked and no name. Sir David Attenborough said something about “Wild Yaks” and that was it. We played two shows. The second one was packed. Casting agents gave me their business cards. My friends couldn’t believe I wasn’t staying in LA. I wasn’t seduced for a second. I knew I was going back to New York

I met Martin while working at Shoe Market in Williamsburg. It was a high time to be alive and selling women’s shoes to all the hipster girls. Martin heard the demo and wanted to play. He threatened to come to practice for like six months before he finally showed up. At first, he was just gonna play the snare, my brother played the floor tom and a cymbal, Brandon Hoy played the bass, and Zack Davis played lead guitar, and sometimes Will Bates on sax. Over a couple of jams Martin eventually assembled all the pieces of the drum kit and started playing it and we were all blown away. He was and is incredible. He’s been the drummer ever since. Almost 20 years

My brother moved to bass and eventually, I kicked him out because Roberta’s was picking up steam and also because he was always fighting me on what I wanted to do. We started surreptitiously practicing in the basement of Shoe Market surrounded by towers of boxes of women’s shoes. Dan Scinta became the bass player. We still had Wailing Zack Davis on guitar in his pleated khaki pants. We hated his style. People would tell me they loved it because it added to the strangeness. We played hundreds of shows. A couple of years went by. The offers never stopped coming. We played every DIY joint and bar and small club that had rock shows in Williamsburg and Bushwick and Lower Manhattan, twice. I calculated one year we played at least twice a week every week without leaving the city. Most of those places don’t even exist anymore. A list of their names would be like a list of legends 

Jose Aybar has been playing bass as a Wild Yak for 13 years. He’s incredible both on and off the court he’s our defacto manager. He’s part of an incredible multi-national scene/community of Latin rocker brothers who know each other from the Dominican Republic and Miami and Bushwick. As soon as he joined the band we started recording Million Years in his basement on Myrtle. Those songs are about Christine Huang and Crystal Benezra and Amelia Davis. Eddie Queso produced it. Jose knew him from Miami.

Eddie and Gio grew up together playing music. We’ve been friends with Gio forever but he’s been in the band about five years. It’s snuck up on me. He played percussion on Great Admirer. I don’t remember how or when or why he became the keyboard player. I love his playing. He’s all over the new record. His beautiful hooks elevate the agonized miasma from which the songs sprang. 

These songs. Our new record. Our last chance. 20 years in. I often feel like I’ve wasted these men’s lives. Like they’re so talented and I’m so useless they could have been more successful and happier had they never met me! 

And now we’ve ensnared Jairo our new lead guitar player, our newest youngest member. He just moved to NYC from Colorado. About a year now. Jose met him when he was on tour with Las Rosas. They played a show together in Denver. Jose made a note of him and filed him away in his database Rolodex. Jairo moved here a year ago for a girl. It didn’t work out with her. He didn’t know many other people in town. Then he became a wild yak. Now he has lots of friends. He stepped in s.

These songs! Most of them were written during COVID when I figured I might die alone without ever finding love and beautiful partnership and affection again. It’s our best record yet. Our second purest since the beginning. I still want to see the world. I hope for world peace and that these songs find a home in the hearts of 200-300 people in every city in the world and we can make just enough money playing in every city to keep going. I am resigned to my fate and happy and humble to be my stupid self! Long live life long live love and brotherhood and humanity and dancing!"

Monumental Deeds Tracklist

1. Crazy People
2. See The Light
3. Lover/Liar
4. Desperado
5. Jose's Struggle
6, Fortune Teller
7. See That Girl
8. MOMD
9. Dearly Beloved
10. Take The Bell

Photo Credit: Wild Yaks