Written by Mae Capaldi | Photo Courtesy of Wishbone

After playing a handful of shows at the Hideout and Hungry Brain, “Spout” comes as the first single from indie folk-inspired band Wishbone. Based in Chicago, the band includes Avery Riel on guitar, vocals, and violin, Gabe Lewis (Porch Music, neighbs) on bass, vocals, and clarinet, and Mat Shiley (Porch Music, Big Fans) on drums. We got to talk with Wishbone about their recording process, their aspirations, and got a little philosophical with it.  

“Spout” opens to an ambient soundscape of violins with Avery’s picking layered overtop. They play the guitar slowly and eventually start speeding up, mimicking water dripping, then streaming, then rushing out. Written by Avery the summer after graduating college, “Spout” shares the experience of falling in love and the surprise and hesitation that someone’s sincerity can cause, saying “you’re so kind…how can I do the same for you? Can I do the same for you?” Their voice starts timid— “I know love is real ‘cause I’m full of it/But you’ll never get me to admit”—and then soars almost immediately after, like the “breaking dam,” they reference. Mat mixed the track while taking a class with Philip Weinrobe, recording engineer for artists like Adrianne Lenker and Billie Martin, and It’s easy to hear Phillip’s influence in the mixing as they shape the landscape of the song.  

Listen to “Spout” out ow!

While “Spout” describes a romantic relationship, as a debut single it also embodies the group’s growing connection to each other and their community. At their live shows, while tuning between songs, the three banter with the audience and share poetry, extending their kinship to the listener.  “Yes, we’re practicing for things and recording and taking things seriously, but the focus is that we’re having fun…we spend time at rehearsals playing hacky sack…if we feel good as a unit of friends, then the music will also feel good because it’s just an extension of that collective unity,” Mat shares.  

Mat and Gabe met sharing a locker in first grade and have played in bands together since middle school. Avery brought their songs to the two and they had their first rehearsal a little over a year ago; “Gabe and Mat already have such a foundation of playing with each other…they’ve been very motivating…when I get in my own way.” As Gabe puts it, one of “the most important things when I’m making music with others is to feel comfortable, period. And also feeling comfortable to suck.” While Gabe also initially threw out “If you had fun, you won” as a joke, this little quote—taken from a poster above the gym doorway of their & Mat’s elementary school—perfectly sums up the ethos of the band.  

To close – in true collaborative Wishbone fashion – before you head to the next article or song, here’s a poem from Mat:  

wishbone  

wish on a penny wish on a star 
wish on a wishbone broken hard  
though when it comes to push and shove
can’t help but think I’m rich in love
few friends, a band, a pickle in hand 
not much beats it in this here land
I’d rather keep the bones together 
my love a wishbone, always forever 

“Spout” by Wishbone is out today, and you can catch them live tonight at Apricot Vintage at 8pm for their single release show.