It was only fitting that my first show of the new year came from Forth Wanderers, a band that we will be seeing much of in the near future. Forth Wanderers are a group from Montclair, New Jersey, who came together a few years ago while still in high school, and still going strong as each of its members are finishing up college. In between semesters they return to the band, touring and releasing promising new songs such as their great Slop EP, which Father/Daughter Records released last fall.
Forth Wanderers kicked off the year with a sold out performance at Baby’s All Right on January 13, proving that the group already has a strong following, one that will only grow over time. This was my first time seeing them, but I was impressed with how tight and mature the group were musically, even though you can tell that they’re a tight-knit group of friends that are quite simply having fun on stage together. Led by vocalist Ava Trilling and guitarist Ben Ben Guterl, Trilling’s sharp lyrics go hand in hand with Guter’s sharp slacker riffs that would make Built To Spill proud.
They played selections from the Slop EP as well as their 2014 debut album Tough Love and debut EP Mahogany. They also shared a bunch of new songs that are a part of an upcoming 10-track album that we should see hopefully sooner than later. Based on what I heard that night, it’s their best work yet.
Their performance at Baby’s was a sharp and confident one that you could feel the passion oozing out of the speakers. You could sense that this band is in it for the long haul, not just something to kill time in between getting their degrees. The fact that they’re keeping the band going while still smartly getting their college degrees prove that they got some level heads on their shoulders, proof that they’re already leagues and bounds above the rest of the pack.
Find photos of their performance posted below (along with their setlist), as well as of Half Waif, Trace Mountains, and Stolen Jars, all of which opened the show.
Forth Wanderers Setlist:
1. New Song
2. Tough Love
3. New Song
4. Nerves
5. Painting Of Blue
6. New Song
7. Blondes Have More Fun
8. Slop
9. Caramel Emotion
Stolen Jars:
Trace Mountains:
Half Waif:
Forth Wanderers:
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