I caught up with London-based singer songwriter AJ Wander to chat about his debut single ‘Time Out’ and how he managed to turn his life around during the pandemic. We discussed how sometimes the Wi-Fi gods cannot be appeased, the relief that we no longer live in the times of Nokia 3310 and if we did there would be no hope.
‘Time Out’ is a passionate and captivating new single which introduces Wander’s pop songwriting magnificently. However Wander didn’t instantly know when writing the song that it would make for a fantastic debut single
”I didn’t, no. I wrote the song a while ago, maybe three years ago, perhaps. It was after the breakup with my first real love.I had no idea it would be the first song I would release. It was one of those songs that almost wrote itself. It was just there after an hour of sitting at the piano and it was complete.It was a very easy song to write and that probably means that it, you know, it really did come from the heart and it’s honest.”
”So, yeah, in terms of deciding that it should be the song to release, I guess, it was just going through all of my back catalogue of tracks that I had and all the demos. I had a version of that from a few years ago, when we wrote the song and we sort of clicked with it straight away and were like, yeah this is where we need to start”
‘Time out’ has a progressive cinematic soundscape. Warm guitars, elegant piano twinkles and lush harmonies on backing vocals build alongside pulsing beats. In the studio, Wander explains the creative process was an organic experience.
”Yeah, I think it is an in the moment kind of thing. I didn’t know what I was gonna sound like going into the studio and it was an experiment. The song naturally lends itself to a certain sound whether you know or not, and you just have to find what that should be. Again that sound came together pretty quickly and naturally, and it seemed like it wouldn’t be right to fight and that’s just how it happened, It wasn’t premeditated at all. It just happened like the writing of the song did really.”
‘Time Out’ is an emotional song written soon after an explosive breakup and Wander offers an intimate take on a universal topic – relationships. Writing such passionate songs can be therapeutic but I wondered is it difficult for Wander to hear or sing the song now – do all those emotions resurface?
”It’s sort of taken on a new meaning for me I guess. I suppose if I forced myself to get my head back in that space where I was when I wrote it can be painful. But I think you know naturally, we all move on, we all want to move on.”
”For me when I sing, it means something else and it’s more positive, When I wrote it I was trying to be positive and trying to put a spin on this breakup as in, it’s a new beginning…so I think I apply it to just looking onwards and upwards right now and again that meaning will probably change for me, as my frame of mind changes. I’m sure it’ll mean other things to other people too, but I try to make it positive and more uplifting.”
Wander explains to me that he has plenty of songs written and how he plans to vary his songs and genres for his upcoming tracks
”Well, I think I might be covered for the next few, but in about six months time I might be panicking. I’m writing every day, and you naturally go through phases of not being able to write or not having as much to write about but then at times you’ve got too much to write about. So far, I haven’t struggled too much with writer’s block. I’ve managed to find things whether that be in my own life, or the people’s lives around me or just in the world around me and again in the studio.I think you’ll always find it, whether that does come naturally or not.”
” I’ve been writing since I was 14/15. The ones that I wrote between 14 and 18, I’m not going to be playing them. I’ve tried to forget them. But, yes I have definitely kept a hold of all those songs and I still go back and look through them.I don’t necessarily use the whole song…I don’t know how many I’ve got – a fair few, and I dive in and sometimes tune in to a certain part…so it’s nice to have that sort of backlog of material that a lot of people starting out don’t, so I feel pretty lucky to have that for sure.”
”No artist wants to be a one trick pony. But it’s cool to at least stick with a theme for a little while, rather than just dipping your toe in and leaving it there. So at least topically it’s centered around relationships, love and the fallout from breakups etc for these first releases.”
”With respect to the mood of them ..there’s a range.They were written from very different places emotionally, and I hope that comes across in the songs”
The pandemic has been a productive time for Wander, he managed to turn his life around in this crazy time gaining signings with the US-based Elevation Group and UK-based BDi Music during the pandemic. I wondered did he see this time as an opportunity or was it all just a happy coincidence?
”I definitely did lots of drinking wine and eating for sure. But it was a conscious decision in terms of minutes. I’ve always been trying to do it and I’ve always been wanting to do it. Prior to the lockdown I drifted into playing piano bars, and hotels, etc for a living, to pay my rent, and that definitely started getting in the way of me actually throwing everything into my own music, and just being all on the line and saying ‘look, this is what I’m gonna do, I’m either in or I’m out’.”
”Yeah so it was a combination of always having that desire and that dream of doing it, and then lockdown sort of eliminating all the work that I was doing. It just made me reevaluate and reset and say in 10 years, if I look back and I didn’t give it my all then I know I’ll forever regret it.. It forced my hand into going all in and start to release music.”
A lot of artists when they release music they plan how they are going to perform the tracks live and Wander like many artists is craving the live setting. He has been performing for years and to be unable to see people react in real time and connect with his songs is difficult for him.
”It’s sort of craving nothing more than to get out and play the songs live and actually see people’s faces. So, yeah, I think about it all the time.”
”I’ve not done live streams, but I believe that is going to be coming very soon. I just need to get better Wi-Fi in and I’ll be out there live streaming to the world.”
We have all become painfully aware of how one thing can affect work, entertainment and our nerves…. Wi-Fi. Live streams totally depend on this sometimes fickle creature
”I know, and it’s let me down this morning. But, yeah, it’s crazy the amount of time I spent on zoom in writing sessions, what a weird thing that is. I’m just glad that this happened now and not in 2002 when I had a Nokia 3310…Actually no, I didn’t…I was seven years old. What am I talking about, 2005 I got my first phone. Yeah, I think I’d be pretty bored of snake by now.”
Wander has been doing zoom writing sessions. I wondered can the mood and craft of songwriting really be captured in zoom with time lapses and glitches as well as that annoying inaudible moment when two people talk at the same time and they both stop and say nothing due to the awkwardness.
”Yeah, I think it’s very different. It’s less organic. It’s hard to cultivate this electric atmosphere that you often get in a room when you’re writing with people because you have to do your thing, you have to play your idea and then wait a minute, wait for the delay, and then wait to see what they think and then they’ll bounce back with another idea rather than it happening in the moment. So it can be a bit of a barrier for sure, but I guess it’s better than nothing. Some people love it. Some people hate it.I prefer being in person and being in the room, which we can actually do now, so hopefully I don’t have to experience another zoom writing session for a little while.”
Wander’s lyrics are rich and filled with depth and emotion, however the goal of a poetic lyricist is not something he seeks out intentionally.
”Depends on what I am writing about I think.There are some songs where you’re writing about something that isn’t personal to you then, I think it puts more pressure on you to be more poetic and say something in a new way, that hasn’t been said before, because you’re observing something that other people can observe. But if it’s something personal. Then you just say how you feel. If it’s something about you and something you’re actually experiencing then I think there isn’t as much pressure to put a twist on it because I think you want to be honest.”
The music industry is a tricky business to navigate through. It can be difficult to learn your craft and focus on the music with so much going on. The rewards can be little. I asked Wander if he had any advice he would like to give to budding young artists.
”I think just stick it out. It’s a long road.It doesn’t happen overnight and it hasn’t, you know..happened for me yet but I think you will never regret sticking it out and putting your all into it, and it’s easy to get distracted from it, responsibilities of life and living that responsible life but you’d never get more satisfaction than seeing your songs out there, and seeing how people react to them and knowing that you did what you’ve always dreamed of, which is to put the music out there, and give it your all.”
Hearing your song on the radio for the first time is a huge and special experience. I explained to him another artist I was in conversation with, when they were notified their song was going to be played on radio they actually went out and bought a radio for the occasion because they didn’t have one at the time. I was intrigued as to how Wander reacted the first time he heard ‘Time Out’ on the radio.
”I wish I bought a radio, that’s way cooler.I just put it on my phone. I think the first time it got played I was in the studio. Maybe I didn’t give it as much focus. I mean it’s definitely very cool.I think I’m a bit of a pessimist.I always find it hard to be like, oh that’s it, like I’ve done it, which I think is definitely not a good trait, because it is so cool and nice to be excited about achieving something in the moment, but I guess I’m always chasing the next thing. I think I’ve always found it hard to stand back and give myself a pat on the back for seeing something cool that I’ve done.But it was cool to hear it,and maybe I will buy a radio for the next one.”
So what can we expect from AJ Wander in the coming months ?
”Good question.I guess up until January, I’m going to be writing. I’ve got a host of writing sessions booked in, and in between those I’ll be writing by myself and hopefully get back in the studio with the songs that click with me most early next year. I’ve got a bunch of tracks that I recorded at the same time as I did ‘Time Out’, so I’ve got the next three tracks already lined up. Which, I’m actually a bit disappointed about because I love being in the studio and I wish I had a deadline to get something else recorded, because it’s my favorite place to be. But sadly, they’re already recorded. So I’m not sure when I will be back in the studio, hopefully next year and planning for the releases after this EP. But yeah, I think the next song to get released will be in early next year, maybe January/February.”
AJ Wander is a talented musician. His ability to capture emotion within his music is captivating. ‘Time out’ is a solid debut and a special gem to behold. I can not wait to hear more from him. Keep an eye on AJ Wander
Stream ‘Time Out’ Below
Author : Danu
