Buzz Blog

As a music writer, I can't recall a time within the past five years where our music scene was firing on all cylinders like it is now. And it's happening not just with local musicians, but also with the touring acts coming through town, especially the indie-rock and hip-hop groups who have been packing venues like Kilby Court in recent months. On Friday, I dropped by Kilby to check out local acts Henry Wade and Big Wild Wings, who were the local support for touring acts Orenda Fink and Modern Kin. Today, we chat with Big Wild Wings about their music career so far—check out photos of their live performance below.

Chris Soper, Tyler Hummel & Lyndsi Austin
Big Wild Wings on Facebook

Gavin: Hey guys, first thing, tell us a bit about yourselves.

Lyndsi: My name is Lyndsi. I come from a family of 10, which I would not change for the world. My family has been such a huge part of my music. Without their continued support for my dream, I would not have been as able to fall so deeply in love with playing music. I was born in Salmon, Idaho, and lived there until I was 11. After moving around for a couple of years, I ended up in Utah. This is where I was able to really establish my place in life. I love Salt Lake. It has been so incredibly good to me.

Tyler: My name is Tyler Hummel, and I'm a the pianist/guitarist of the band, as well as a server at the Oasis Cafe. I was born in Salt Lake and made my way down to Dixie for a quick decade before I found myself back in the Rocky Mountains making music with some wonderful people who don't really mind that I write ridiculously long run-on sentences.

Chris: One of my favorite things that I do in life is play drums. I love playing with [Big Wild Wings]. When people ask what I do, I brush over my job and tell them how excited I am to make music together. I take a great amount of pride in what we're able to accomplish together. I don't think I could fully express myself creatively if I never found our band. Until now, I was just floating, but since we found each other, I can't wait to make more music.


Gavin: What got each of you interested in music and who were some of your favorite musicians growing up?

Lyndsi: I have been singing for the majority of my life. My mother saw that I had a passion for it and put me in singing lessons when I was young. I sang so much that I genuinely think I annoyed my siblings. I couldn't help it, though. When I was 13 years old, shortly after I moved to Utah, I decided that I wanted to learn to play bass. An old family friend, Drew Wolfe, took me to a guitar shop and helped me pick one out. I fell in love with it. I picked up the acoustic guitar when I was 16 and began writing my own songs. I had a lot of different influences growing up. I have always loved Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Fleetwood Mac, Janis Joplin, Joan Jett, Heart, The Rolling Stones and Counting Crows, to name a few. I went through a pretty good metal phase in high school, but apart from that, I loved Taking Back Sunday, Saves the Day, Dashboard Confessional, AFI and Thrice, among many others, which fueled my teenage angst.

Chris: My dad and mom were both big influences ... . I grew up loving Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead and Rage Against the Machine, among many others.

Tyler: I was turned on to music when I was very young. I think that I get my obsession for music from my father, who is a classical-music nut. Practicing the piano actually started as a real pain in the ass, but when I moved to the South, I was lucky enough to work with an amazing teacher who encouraged me to write my own compositions. That's when it became fun. My favorite artist when I was growing up was Radiohead. They still have a super big spot in my heart.

Gavin: What was it like for each of you getting involved with the local music scene?

Lyndsi: It has been really cool. I've been going to local shows since I was in high school. It feels incredible to be a part of it. We have a really devoted fan base, which I could not be more grateful for.

Tyler: For me, getting involved in the local scene has felt pretty natural. We have established some amazing friendships with some of the other bands around town, and they have all shown us unyielding support. I feel the most relaxed when we are actually playing a set. The socialization afterward tends to feel the most exhausting for me.


Gavin: How did you originally come together as a trio and start working on music?

Tyler: We all went to Wendover a couple years ago and decided we were going to try jamming together for shits and giggles. Little did we know, we all have the most amazing musical chemistry with each other.

Gavin: Where did the band name come from?

Chris: Our band name is a lyric that came from our song "Cardboard Mountains," which is a crowd favorite.


Gavin: What was the big influences that helped create the alt/indie sound you have?

Lyndsi: Bands like Radiohead, Counting Crows, Menomena, Mazzy Star, Wye Oak, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Flaming Lips and Regina Spektor.

Gavin: Your music feels stripped down but it still feels very intricate. Was that carefully planned or more of a happy accident that came with playing?

Tyler: I think that our perceived sound is just as much intentional as it is organic. Nothing has ever felt pressed or forced. What you hear is what has comfortably spilled out of us.

Lyndsi: The moment it starts to feel forced, we try to step away from it for a moment. We all enjoy writing music together so much. We never want to take the love out of it.


Gavin: Do you find it easier working together as a trio, or do you wish there were more elements to the band?

Lyndsi: We write really well together as a three-piece. As much as I sometimes wish we had another person to add to our sound, I also realize that adding another person means adding another personality and set of ideas. That can be dangerous, but it can also be wonderful. It may be a risk we eventually take, but for now, I think we will figure out how to make our sound as big as possible with the three of us.

Tyler: I think that working as a trio has made it very easy to work together as a team, although I would like to add more elements to our sound. I think that a recent show that we saw opened our eyes to the fact that we can do that on our own.

Gavin: You've been together about two years now. How has it been performing around town and building a following?

Tyler: Building an audience in Salt Lake has been very interesting. I feel like it actually just started because our honeymoon phase has recently ended. When you have a bunch of your friends complimenting your music, you question whether they're speaking with hyperbole. When a stranger showers you with compliments about your music, it feels incredibly sincere and heartfelt. These strangers are our fan base, in my eyes.

Lyndsi: As much as that is true, we would be nowhere without the undying love and support from our friends and family. Even though they might feel obligated to like us, I know for sure that most of the people in our circle have a connection to our music that goes beyond our personal relationships.


Gavin: Currently, you haven't released anything official. Are you working on anything at the moment?

Chris: We are just now finishing up a 10-track album that we're recording with Brian Crabtree of Rocketskates Recording. The album will be available the first week in November. It has been a long time coming, and we could not be more excited to see our songs come to life.

Gavin: Do you have any plans to tour yet or are you mainly staying in Utah?

Tyler: We don't currently have plans for touring. I think that once we release this album, we will be able to start scheduling shows in the West. It just makes no sense to tour if we have no physical copies of our music to offer.

Lyndsi: I have always dreamed of being on the road, sharing music with people. Once we get the album tied down, we will definitely start planning a tour—West Coast, for starters. Then we will see where it takes us from there.


Gavin: After being together this long, are you looking to get on a label or doing more DIY stuff?

Chris: For the moment, I think we will stick to the DIY way of doing things. Of course, if a nice record deal came along, I'm sure it would be hard to turn down.

Gavin: What can we expect from Big Wild Wings over the rest of the year?

Chris: You can expect to get a copy of our debut album! We will be doing a Kickstarter campaign to hopefully reimburse ourselves for the cost of recording and distribution. Keep an eye out for that, with our CD release to follow. Beyond that, we plan to continue our shows in Salt Lake, work on a music video and tour as much as possible!


Gavin: Is there anything you'd like to promote or plug?

Lyndsi: We will be opening for a band called Perfume Genius this Friday, Sept. 26, at The Urban Lounge. If you'd like to get a taste of our sound, come by. Other than that, our next shows will be our album-release concerts on Nov. 1 at Kilby Court and Nov. 8 at The Urban Lounge. Tell everyone you have ever met.