Wombo — the Louisville-bred trio of Sydney Chadwick (bass/vocals), Cameron Lowe (guitar), and Joel Taylor — unveil their new single/video, “Neon Bog,” from their forthcoming album, Danger in Fives, out August 8th via Fire Talk. Danger in Fives marks Wombo’s third full-length studio outing, and is colored by welcomed experimentation in their tried-and-true writing practices. This commitment toward artistic exploration led Lowe to capture as many ideas as possible, resulting in over 30 demos he then brought to Chadwick to help pare down. Album centerpiece “Neon Bog” emerges from this batch.
Anchored by the recurring strike of a cowbell, “Neon Bog” is a free-flowing mosaic of fortunate mistakes. Soaring, distorted vocals — a result of recording Chadwick’s take to a guitar amp simulator in error — are collaged with haunting echoes, embracing a studio mistake to end with something uniquely Wombo. The accompanying music video, again helmed by the band’s own Lowe, is equally idiosyncratic. Featuring meticulously hand-crafted set designs and surreal artistic direction, the “Neon Bog” video is a testament to Wombo’s singular vision.
Of “Neon Bog,” Chadwick adds: “‘Neon Bog’ is a song about a simple time I had with a friend and reflecting back on that and how relationships change over time. And how things get murky kind of like how the song feels which inspired the lyrics for me.”
Of its accompanying video, Lowe says: “I was inspired by the work of director Michel Gondry, especially his commitment to using practical effects. Instead of building miniatures only, we scaled up and built a full sized ‘miniature’ and to avoid using green screens we projected a miniature scene outside the set window on a sheet. I’ve been watching a lot of the TV show Ghost Adventures and have been somewhat haunted by the implications of the paranormal. I thought the video was a good outlet for expressing that in an abstract way. The couple is haunted by the death of their cat. The puzzle pieces represent the desire to rebuild the relationship. The cat now resides in another dimension with Sydney.”
Watch Wombo’s “Neon Bog” Video
Danger in Fives isn’t a reintroduction; it’s a reminder. Throughout the record, Wombo not only enhance their formula, but routinely perfect it. Maintaining the confidence of their last full-length, 2022’s Fairy Rust, Danger in Fives reconnects with the intuition that led their wild experiments on the 2020 debut LP Blossomlooksdownuponus. The elements central to Wombo remain true, and are only strengthened across a near-decade of crafting mesmeric rock.
To perfect the formula, Wombo first had to tear it apart. Standard practices of writing and workshopping material in their post-war basement rehearsal space were paused, as the band explored alternative writing processes. Even demos that took shape quickly were carefully analyzed and adjusted. The experimentation across Danger in Five's genesis comes paired with subtle shifts in Wombo’s palette: the welcome addition of digital texture, and instrumental switch-ups. Today’s “Neon Bog” marks the only Wombo song to not feature Chadwick on her cherished Dan Electro bass, instead featuring Lowe on a heavier Peavey Foundation (offering what Chadwick calls a “fresh, janky quality”). “We tried it on the Dan Electro,” Chadwick clarifies, “but our quick decision ended up being the one that worked best.”
Throughout Danger in Fives, it’s clear what has made Wombo one of the most respected bands in their class, and it’s thrilling to hear them command new terrain. “I don’t want to be in a band that’s confined to one form of writing,” Chadwick maintains. “Where’s the fun and the creativity and the exploration in that? You have to push yourself and try something new.” With Danger in Fives underway, it’s never been more unclear what the next new thing might be, or how Wombo may discover that. It’s also never been more exciting.
This fall, Wombo will embark on an extensive tour in support of Danger in Fives. Beginning with a hometown performance at Lousville’s Whirling Tiger, Wombo’s forthcoming tour spans North America, the United Kingdom, and Europe. A full list of tour dates are below, and all tickets are on sale now.
Pre-order Danger in Fives
Watch “Danger in Fives” Video
Wombo Tour Dates
- Fri. Aug. 8 - Louisville, KY @ Whirling Tiger
- Mon. Sep. 8 - Washington, DC @ DC9
- Tue. Sep. 9 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
- Wed. Sep. 10 - Kingston, NY @ Tubby’s
- Fri. Sep. 12 - Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right
- Sat. Sep. 13 - Boston, MA @ The Rockwell
- Sun. Sep. 14 - Montreal, QC @ L’Esco
- Mon. Sep. 15 - Toronto, ON @ The Dance Cave
- Wed. Sep. 17 - Chicago, IL @ The Empty Bottle
- Sun. Oct. 5 - St. Louis, MO @ The Sinkhole
- Tue. Oct. 7 - Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
- Thu. Oct. 9 - Boise, ID @ The Shredder
- Fri. Oct. 10 - Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
- Sat. Oct. 11 - Vancouver, BC @ The Kingsway Club
- Mon. Oct. 13 - Seattle, WA @ Barboza
- Wed. Oct. 15 - San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop
- Fri. Oct. 17 - Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon
- Sat. Oct. 18 - San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
- Sun. Oct. 19 - Phoenix, AZ @ Linger Longer Lounge
- Tue. Oct. 21 - Austin, TX @ Hotel Vegas Inside
- Wed. Oct. 22 - Denton, TX @ Rubber Gloves
- Thu. Oct. 23 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Resonant Head
- Fri. Oct. 24 - Kansas City, MO @ Disco Burger + Varsity Club
- Sun. Nov. 2 - Edinburgh, UK @ Voodoo Rooms
- Mon. Nov. 3 - Manchester, UK @ YES
- Tue. Nov. 4 - Liverpool, UK @ Quarry
- Wed. Nov. 5 - Bristol, UK @ Exchange
- Thu. Nov. 6 - Oxford, UK @ Little Bully
- Fri. Nov. 7 - London, UK @ Oslo
- Sat. Nov. 8 - Paris, FR @ Pitchfork Music Festival - Supersonic
- Tue. Nov. 11 - Rotterdam, NL @ Rotown
- Wed. Nov. 12 - Hamburg, DE@ Aalhaus
- Sat. Nov. 15 - Berlin, DE @ Festsaal Kreuzberg Puschenfest
- Tue. Nov. 18 - Schaffhausen, CH @ TapTab
- Wed. Nov. 19 - Vienna, AT @ Rhiz