Wilder Woods Shares New Single 'Swimming In The Ocean'

Wilder Woods, the solo outfit of NEEDTOBREATHE co-founder and frontman Bear Rinehart, has released his new single “Swimming In The Ocean” off his upcoming album Curioso (out February 7th through Dualtone Records). With heavy drive and raucous energy, “Swimming In The Ocean” launches at full-throttle as Rinehart kicks off the album with a lead-foot.

“'Swimming In The Ocean' is a fever dream about escaping with the one you love," said Rinehart. "I love it when a lyric expands on the way the music makes you feel, and this one does that for me.”

“Swimming In The Ocean” follows the release of “Offering,” a harmony-driven, indie/folk ballad held together by Rinehart and guest Anna Graves’ lush weaving vocals over an elegant, stripped-down instrumental landscape. The slow-cooked, neo-soul tribute “Time On My Hands,” featuring My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, is also out now, as well as the rootsy barn-burner “Devil In My Eyes” and lead single “Hide Anymore,” which has earned coast to coast airplay across Triple-A radio including stations WFUV and WXPK (New York), WRLT (Nashville), Sun Radio (Austin), and Colorado Sound (Denver).

Immediately following the release of Curioso, Wilder Woods will hit the road for a series of US tour dates that will take him through Cleveland, Atlanta, Chicago, New York City, Boston, Austin, and more, culminating with a hometown bash at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. See below for the full list of tour dates or visit his website.

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.

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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