Wand, maybe my favorite live LA band in recent years, released a new video today for lead single, “Plum”, the title track off their forthcoming album, out September 22nd on Drag City. If you’ve heard Wand perform or listened to their previous albums, you know these guys shred. They’re loud, fast, and contagious in their ability to temporarily blow your eardrums out with gripping, harmonious cacophony. And when they debuted in 2013, their original sound, somewhere between White Fence and Ty Segall immediately caught my attention.

That was then. In the winter of 2016, the original core of Wand – Cory Hanson, Lee Landey, and Evan Burrows – expanded to include new guitarist Robbie Cody and keyboardist, vocalist Sofia Arreguin. Hanson also debuted his solo album, with its stunning arrangements and gentle, warm feel, revealing a softer side to his otherwise shreddy, proggy tendencies. There were bits of Marc Bolan in Hanson’s voice now, and a new sense of vulnerability and honesty. Wand’s new lineup proved to be an evolving force, and a good one at that.

“Plum”, the first taste of the evolution of Wand, is so damn good, I can’t stop listening to it. “The song transpires between our collective harmony and individual dissent,” says Hanson. “It felt like we were each trying to obstruct a clear path in order to discover new space. As a total accident, ‘Plum’ wound up being a miniature blueprint to the musical language we developed together over months of dedicated writing.” My favorite part is the breakdown with Hanson and Arreguin’s layered vocals. The video, shot by Romain Peutat, Wand, and our own Asal Shahindoust, is perfect for this chill Tuesday. So listen up. —Maya Eslami 

Wand Tour Dates: 
Sat. Sep. 23 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour #
Sun. Sep. 24 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah #
Mon. Sep. 25 – Las Vegas, NV @ Bunkhouse #
Wed. Sep. 27 – Denver, CO @ Lost Lake #
Thu. Sep. 28 – Lincoln, ME @ Lincoln Calling
Fri. Sep. 29 – Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club #
Sat. Sep. 30 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall #
Mon. Oct. 2 – Toronto, ON @ Baby G #
Tue. Oct. 3 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz #
Wed. Oct. 4 – Cambridge, MA @ Cambridge Elks Lodge #
Fri. Oct. 6 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom #
Sat. Oct. 7 – Philadelphia, PA @ Everybody Hits #
Sun. Oct. 8 – Washington, DC @ DC9 #
Tue. Oct. 10 – Raleigh, NC @ Kings #
Wed. Oct. 11 – Atlanta, GA @ 529 #
Thu. Oct. 12 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa #
Fri. Oct. 13 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda #
Sat. Oct. 14 – Dallas, TX @ Dada #
Sun. Oct. 15 – Norman, OK @ The Opolis #
Wed. Oct. 18 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Bar #
Thu. Oct. 19 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux #
Sat. Oct. 21 – Vancouver, BC @ The Cobalt #
Sun. Oct. 22 – Seattle, WA @ The Vera Project #
Tue. Oct. 24 – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel #
Tue. Jan. 23 – Brighton, UK @ Patterns
Wed. Jan. 24 – London, UK @ Dome
Thu. Jan. 25 – Bristol, UK @ Louisiana
Fri. Jan. 26 – Manchester, UK @ Soup Kitchen
Sat. Jan. 27 – Glasgow, UK @ Garage 2
Sun. Jan. 28 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell (main room)
Mon. Jan. 29 – Birmingham, UK @ Hare & Hounds (room 2)