Wussy

Damnably/Shake It!

One of the most hopeful songs on Wussy’s upcoming seventh studio album What Heaven Is Like, Gloria is, at its most specific, a spoiler-free(!) narrative tribute to ‘Fargo’ Season 3’s heroine, Gloria Burgle of Eden Valley played by Carrie Coon. In a larger sense, though, it paints a portrait of an inscrutable everywoman who dares to stand up to an omnipresent, almost supernatural, villain. Moving with little fanfare, and only recognized by a stranger who heralds her arrival like a mysterious John the Baptist type figure, announcing her name over a patchwork grid of rural American fields.

Quote from Lisa Walker, Wussy lyricist, vocalist and guitarist: “This season of ‘Fargo’ was so bleak and unrelenting. The V.M. Varga character seemed like an undefeatable entity, something between a robber baron and whoever’s secretly watching you from the other side of your screen in real-time. Gloria’s purity of heart made her this bright shining light.. the only person actually impervious to the enemy. But even beyond that, I was very inspired this year by several women who dared to put everything on the line, even their own lives, to stand up for what is right. I tried to show my respect for this great courage in the re-telling of Gloria’s story.

The album What Heaven Is Like is released on vinyl/CD/digitally May 18th by Damnably in Europe, and Shake It! in US.

Wussy formed in 2001 when retired Stonemason, Chuck Cleaver (formerly of Ass Ponys) and Lisa Walker began playing together as result of a dare. The duo’s first performance was largely unplanned but went without incident, so Mark Messerly was recruited on bass and later Joe Klug on drums. The band’s newest member, pedal steel player John Erhardt, has enabled Wussy to truly come into its own. Cleaver and Walker share singing and songwriting duties, trading lead vocals, harmonising, and singing in vocal swoops and patterns on top of each other, sharing tales of the supernatural combined with day in the life portraits, both disquieting and tranquil.

Wussy have evolved over the last decade to become forerunners of New Midwestern Psychedelia. The band are known both for their songwriting and varied sonic palette, often drawing comparisons to admitted heroes, Television, Velvet Underground, Crazy Horse and Yo La Tengo. Wussy have recorded sessions for BBC 6Music and KEXP, showcased at SXSW and CMJ, and supported several tours for fellow Ohioans Afghan Whigs and Heartless Bastards, as well as sharing the stage with bands such as Yo La Tengo, The Breeders, Best Coast, Mudhoney, Okkervil River, The Mekons, COME, Wreckless Eric and Jeffrey Lewis.

“If Michael Stipe Co-wrote songs with Morrissey…then hired Neil Young, Crazy horse and the Cowboy Junkies to play them, and asked Kevin Shields to mix them, then the results would be… a bit like Forever Sounds…” The Sunday Times (UK)

“Wussy’s ragged Ohio racket hits biblical proportions on Forever Sounds.” SPIN

“It’s the sound you come back for… ” Noisey

“The album is full of darkly valiant shoegaze, music that is cozy enough to hibernate under.” Pitchfork

“Swirling, psych-rock riffs that expand outward seemingly without end…” The A.V. Club.