Texas indie pop band makes comeback: Wild Party discusses their departure and return to the music world
Music streaming is notorious for monetarily shorting artists, but this shorting was one of the factors that thrust Wild Party back into the spotlight years after its 2014 release “Phantom Pop.”
The Texas band – composed of childhood friends Lincoln Kreifels and Lucas Hughes as well as Ethan Kaufmann – stopped making music after touring for their first album.
Kreifels said that “Phantom Pop” was well-received, but low income coupled with the birth of his son made him want to get off the road.
“We got a lot of good feedback [on “Phantom Pop,”] and it has been cool to see it grow over the years,” Kreifels said. “It just wasn’t a realistic financial pursuit for someone like me who was starting a family.”
Health issues also played a role in the band’s decisions. Kreifels said an auto-immune disorder was part of the reason he put music on hold, but when he had a life-threatening complication in 2022, it caused him to reexamine things.
“It was a really scary time, and I spent a lot of time in prayer,” Kreifels said. “It made me reevaluate what I’m supposed to do with my life, and I think that’s to use my voice and gift for writing music to bring people happiness and joy.”
During the band’s hiatus, Spotify’s algorithm played a unique role in promoting Wild Party. New, younger audiences were exposed to “Phantom Pop,” and the band’s monthly listener count ballooned because of it.
A reinvigorated audience led the band to start touring again. Last year, Wild Party hit the road again.
“It’s amazing to show up to audiences that know all the words to our songs,” Kreifels said. “There are a lot of young people there,
“It’s not like they’ve all been waiting ten years.”
Wild Party is now in the process of writing a second album, and third release, after 2023’s “Get Up” EP. In March, Wild Party released “Hatchet,” a peppy track about getting away from life’s stressors and living in the wilderness.
“Making music again has been a lot of fun, and it feels really natural,” Kreifels said. “We really picked up right where we left off.
“It’s been tough time-wise because I have three sons and a full-time job, but it’s definitely worth it.”
Kreifels said during the hiatus, he feels like he has matured a lot as a person and developed a new perspective on success.
“I think we’re more appreciative of the success we have now,” Kreifels said. “We’re really appreciative of the opportunity to tour again and the ability to meet people after shows.
“I want to make sure they know how much it means for us to disappear and come back and still have support.”
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