Wilder Woods Enlists Jim James for New Single 'Time On My Hands'
The track is the latest to release from his upcoming album Curioso, due out February 12th.
By: Josh Sharpe Oct. 17, 2024
Wilder Woods, the solo outfit of NEEDTOBREATHE co-founder/frontman Bear Rinehart, has released his new single “Time On My Hands” featuring guest vocals by My Morning Jacket’s Jim James. The track is the latest to release from his upcoming album Curioso, due out February 12th through Dualtone Records. A neo-soul tribute to life leisurely spent, “Time On My Hands” unfolds like a Motown classic for the modern world, mixing a laid-back groove with stabs of electric guitar, blasts of keys, and thickly-stacked vocal harmonies.
Wilder Woods also announced US tour dates that will kick off in February and take him through Cleveland, Atlanta, Chicago, New York City, Boston, Austin, and more, before ending at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. See below for the full list of tour dates or visit his website.
"I think everybody has time. It’s up to all of us to determine how to use it,” said Rinehart. “This song is about making it last longer. Huge honor for me to have one of my biggest artistic inspirations, Jim James on this track! It’s a vibe.”
"So honored to sing on this beautiful track with Wilder Woods!” said James. “The song fills me with such great spirit - may it lift yours as well!"
“Time On My Hands” follows the release of the first two singles “Hide Anymore,” a stomping four-on-the-floor rock & roller, and the rootsy barn-burner “Devil In My Eyes.” “Both of these songs are really about the tension I think we all feel between the way we wish the world was and the way it actually is,” Rinehart explained. “Maybe it’s naïve to think that music can actually help with that, but it does for me.”
Years before he learned to transfix a crowd - first as a trophy-winning college athlete, then as the powerhouse frontman behind the GRAMMY-nominated and platinum-selling group NEEDTOBREATHE - Rinehart spent hours at his grandmother’s house, captivated by her curio cabinet. "It was a china cabinet where she'd store her keepsakes, like her first Bible, some porcelain dolls, and football memorabilia," he remembers. "As a kid, I always thought it was a strange thing to keep around...but now, I think a curio cabinet can tell you a lot about a person. I love the idea of collecting the pieces of your past, creating a little assortment of things that you really enjoy."
That same spirit fuels Curioso, his third solo release as Wilder Woods, where Rinehart chases the muse into uncharted territory and unapologetically explores all the curious corners of his sound, powered by his genre-bending approach to anthemic American music. It's a wide mix of texture, tone, and razor-sharp songwriting, held together not by some lyrical thread or overarching story, but simply by the enthusiasm of a longtime musician who’s still eager to stretch his legs and cover new ground. Outlets like Rolling Stone have praised Rinehart's "raspy roar of a voice," but he hits a new high-water mark here, delivering each song with the vocal firepower of someone who's used to being onstage nightly, singing for the fans in the back row.
Songwriting sessions for Curioso began in 2023 on the heels of his sophomore effort FEVER/SKY, which featured the Top 15 radio hit "Maestro (Tears Don't Lie)." This time around, Rinehart found fresh inspiration in the form of Perfume Genius' rhythms, Outkast's hip-hop samples, Arcade Fire's sweeping indie-rock, and even the Breeders' distorted guitars. He also teamed up with partners like producer Jeremy Lutito and co-writers Konrad Snyder, Trent Dabbs, Ian Fitchuk, Anderson East, and Foy Vance. Together, they took advantage of the free time between Rinehart's tour dates to write and record Curioso's songs in small batches, resulting in an album rooted not only in collaboration, but in serious groove.
With his third release as Wilder Woods, Rinehart hasn't just established his own sound; he's moved beyond it. Curioso is his own curio cabinet: a curated collection of the influences and experiences that have shaped him as a musician, placed on public display for the whole world to hear. What they showcase is a songwriter who respects his musical roots while also using them as a springboard, propelling himself to new heights, chasing down new curiosities along the way.
Track Listing:
01) Swimming In The Ocean
02) Time On My Hands
03) Hide Anymore
04) Offering
05) Love Last
06) Where Do We Go From Here
07) Devil In My Eyes
08) Kind Of Magic
09) Descendants
10) Wild Fire
Tour Dates:
02/20 - Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
02/21 - Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
02/22 - Grand Rapids, MI @ The Intersection
02/27 - Knoxville, TN @ Bijou Theatre
02/28 - Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore
03/01 - Atlanta, GA @ Buckhead Theatre
03/06 - Madison, WI @ The Sylvee
03/07 - Minneapolis, MN @ Uptown Theater
03/08 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
03/09 - Columbus, OH @ The Bluestone
03/11 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
03/13 - Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
03/14 - Philadelphia, PA @ Brooklyn Bowl
03/15 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
03/16 - Charleston, SC @ Charleston Music Hall
03/18 - Fayetteville, AR @ George’s Majestic Lounge
03/20 - Houston, TX @ House of Blues
03/21 - Austin, TX @ Emo’s
03/22 - Dallas, TX @ Majestic Theatre
03/27 - Raleigh, NC @ the Ritz
03/28 - Birmingham, AL @ Iron City
03/29 - Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
Photo Credit: JM Collective
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