In the first week of June, local indie-pop ensemble Wilmot celebrated the release of its debut single, “Oh, Boy,” a catchy number about transcending childhood and trying to stay in touch with the significant figures in one’s life.
When not hunkered down in the studio, this up-and-coming Lowcountry band featuring Matt Vajdic (guitar/lead vocals), Connor Sage (bass) and Jake Wastler (drums/vocals) can also frequently be found holding court at The Royal American.
While the recent bit of news is exciting, Vajdic told the Charleston City Paper that his musical journey actually began long ago and far away.
“I grew up in a quiet town in the suburbs of Chicago, a little under an hour north of the city,” he said.
There, Vajdic was exposed to an eclectic mix of styles by his “U2-loving” father and his “classical-leaning” mother. Vajdic started taking piano lessons at a young age, but that encounter didn’t pique his interest quite enough.
“Throughout childhood, I kept trying different instruments until I found one that stuck — saxophone at the time — and ended up being in the high school band all four years,” Vajdic recalled. “I think that phase, of wanting to try every instrument I could, plays a role in my songwriting these days, in that I am able to look to different instruments to spark an idea or motive.”
In college, Vajdic dove a little deeper into indie music exploring artists like Mac Demarco, Tallest Man on Earth and Beach House. Importantly, he also picked up a guitar and tried his hand at singing. These events seem to have placed him firmly on the path.
“Around the same time, I remember the band Glass Animals saying that they used this Digital Audio Workstation thing called Ableton, so I downloaded the free version out of curiosity,” he said. “The ability to fully craft an arrangement enthralled me. The first few years of having it I’d create silly little beats and hundreds of unfinished songs and ideas.”
Not wanting to go it alone, Vajdic eventually recruited Sage and Wastler (whom he’d already met in various places around Charleston) to help expand upon his vision.
“I was starting this project called Wilmot and our first show was actually just Jake and myself, but we immediately recognized the need for live bass, so Connor jumped right on board,” Vajdic said.
“Dream pop” in the Holy City
While acknowledging that the area already had a fantastic music scene, Vajdic hopes that Wimot is inserting something noteworthy with its first single and the backlog of other tunes they’re planning to record in the near future.
“We decided to put out ‘Oh, Boy’ first because we thought it fully encapsulated our sound and gave the listeners a good reference of what’s to come,” he said. “I like to think we’re introducing the Holy City to dream-pop. We use buttery guitars, warm synths and catchy vocal melodies to create those special nostalgic feelings in our music. If our music were a meal, I think we’d be a PB&J on Wonder Bread with a Capri Sun and Nilla Wafers.”
Not surprisingly, Vajdic deliberately aims to write material that is more happy than sad.
“It’s easy to let negative emotions fuel songwriting, but I like to challenge myself to make happier-sounding tunes, it just feels better,” he said. “The pace of life, especially on the coast, can be a little slower and more relaxed here. I think this results in me pursuing more composed ‘vibes’ within our music.”
And in the end, for Vajdic, it’s sharing this creative process with his “best buddies” that makes it all worthwhile.
“For me, music is a way to escape the stressors of everyday life, so I don’t deliberately try to measure the success of our band. I think all three of us are under the mindset of ‘what happens, happens,’ and the most important thing is that we’re enjoying each other and having fun playing. That being said, I definitely have a handful of dreams for my music career. The most fulfilling thing is having some of these dreams come to fruition and realizing they truly aren’t always as far as they seem.”
To stream “Oh, Boy” and hear more about Wilmot, visit linktr.ee/wilmot_music.
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