Fresh off releasing their debut single, titled 'Candidate', early last month, Gold Coast two-piece Wandering Blind present a charming mix of new wave, post punk and pop music wrapped together with unabashed Mancunian cockiness.
"'Candidate' is about feeling like you can't communicate for whatever reason," frontman Jack Holt says, who plays guitar, bass and synthesisers."It's really about that in-between of both being very blasé but also being very passionate about something, which is something I think a lot of people can relate to."
Ahead of their next live performance (at Tomcat in Brisbane 17 October supporting With Blue), Jack and Kyle Thompson (drums, percussion) check-in for a chat about the band, eating Weet-Bix for dinner, a fear of being poked in the eye and the frustrations of changing a duvet.
Who is Wandering Blind...
Kyle: For me it started meeting Jack at school and we found that we had the same desire to have a band. I grew up playing drums at church and loved listening to them in rock music.
Jack: We're a weird mix and I think that's why we work; a Manchester lad who's a bit finicky and a relaxed surfer dude from the Gold Coast. We love music and we love making it and sharing it.
We sound like...
Jack: We get a lot of comparisons, but the usual thing they have in common is they're English. I think the comparisons we get often are Arctic Monkeys and Joy Division, among many others but I don't always agree with them.
Kyle: I've heard the Arctic Monkeys comparison a lot. Personally, I don't think we sound like anyone in particular though.
Our first gig was... Jack: As a two-piece it was at The Sound Garden in Brisbane for a battle of the bands.
Kyle: Yeah the Sound Garden, it was fun to play at.
When did you settle on the group's name, and was it a unanimous decision...
Jack: I think it was a unanimous decision. It came from a song and it's stuck since then. I quite like the connotation it has of if you follow blindly then you'll always just be blind; the name reminds us what not to do.
Kyle: I just remember it always being that name, to be honest. We get a few jokes about it, but we can't think of anything better.
In the studio we usually...
Jack: Me personally, I can be a bit nervous 'cause I wanna get the best possible result. Usually we have everything planned beforehand, so it's just me running through each thing and pointing stuff out if it needs to be different.
Kyle: I usually joke around haha.
If we could tour with anyone...
Jack: I'd like to play with Mdou Moctar. They play really interesting music and it'd be cool to actually see them live.
Kyle: The Chainsmokers because their live shows are insane. Also Matt McGuire is my favourite drummer and he plays with them.
Social media is...
Kyle: Ask Jack, he does it.
Jack: Both a gift and a curse, but overall it's a necessity. I do enjoy when a post goes well and when you get new followers who have choosen to follow you just 'cause they like what you post.
My favourite app at the moment is...
Jack: Probably Spotify for Artists. I like looking at all the random places we get played.
Kyle: Sleep recorder. I'm hoping to get lottery numbers from my dreams.
To date, my most embarrassing moment was the time...
Jack: I look at any photographs from my last 22 years.
Kyle: When I was going through puberty.
Life on the road can be...
Jack: We don't know yet, but having driven around with Kyle I can imagine it being stressful for him haha.
Kyle: Agreed.
If you'll have us on your bill, all we ask is that our rider contains...
Jack: Cherry Coke, vodka and access to a loo.
Kyle: A case of Fat Yak, please.
The most scary scenario we've found ourselves in, was...
Kyle: Would definitely be a gig we did at a punk venue with our old band, had people jumping and staring us out while we were waiting to go on stage.
Jack: Agreed, we were the only two to survive, haha.
What celebrity/famous person would you love to be spokesperson of the band...
Kyle: Will Ferrell, mainly because he'd say something funny.
Jack: It wouldn't matter to me, as long as they had lots of followers. That'd be the dream, some random celebrities putting us on their story and us being streamed by their fans to make sure their favourite celeb isn't losing their hearing.
If you had to live in a city abroad, where would you choose and why?
Jack: Either Manchester or Berlin. Probably Manchester as it is where I'm from and it'd mean I could get to the football.
Kyle: Hawaii, somewhere next to the beach.
Three people you'd like to invite around for a dinner party?
Kyle: Will Ferrel and Hamish & Andy. Wouldn't be a very quiet night though!
Jack: The first one I thought of was Bob Mortimer, he could honestly be my spirit animal. Then I'd probably have Tim Cahill 'cause he was my hero as a kid and Will Sergeant because I love Echo & The Bunnymen. I'd invite every member if I could though.
If we were coming over to your place, what would you cook us?
Jack: Somert with low risk factor. I get very into cooking so when it goes wrong I usually get quite irritated.
Kyle: Weet-Bix.
When it comes to pets are you a lover or hater of our furry friends?
Kyle: Lover.
Jack: Lover. If you hate pets you're a nonce.
No matter the expense, send me a case of...
Kyle: Fat Yak.
Jack: Cherry Coke; can you see a pattern emerging?
The last time I saw the inside of a gym was...
Kyle: Years ago.
Jack: Honestly I can't remember either; probably the last time I played Pokémon.
What's the one chore you dislike the most?
Jack: Changing a duvet.
Kyle: Hand washing dishes.
Do you have any phobias?
Jack: I don't like things related to fingernails or eyes. My girlfriend took me to a movie where someone gets stabbed in the eye for our first date and I haven't forgiven her since.
Kyle: Snakes, I think that's pretty self-explanatory.
Would you ever partake in a reality show?
Kyle: 'The Block'; me and my sister would smash it!
Jack: I like watching them, but I would never want to be on one. Don't exactly cherish the idea of having a camera poked in your face.
If you could prank any of your friends, who's your target, and how are you bringing them down?
Jack: If I tell you then they'd find out. I hope my friends read this, because they should be very afraid.
Kyle: My mate Dan. I'd pretend to crash one of his work cars during a test drive; as a car salesman that'd be very bad for him.
Best local takeaway joint for a midnight feed that will leave you with a food coma?
Kyle: Maccas run, duh.
Jack: My Friends in Oxenford; they have really good gluten-free food, so I don't have the guilt in the morning.
Which fictional character best describes your personality?
Kyle: Flynn Rider from 'Tangled', provided to me by my partner.
Jack: Boo Radley because it'd take me about 300 pages before I'd wanna go outside too.
Last show you binge-watched?
Kyle: 'The Office'. It's the funniest show on the planet.
Jack: 'The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story'. I love those sorta real-life crime shows. The fake ones are good too, but I like being able to research the crimes after the fact.
