Well, that’s it from us for another week, and we leave you dear reader with a track from a band we haven’t featured previously here on AUK but, you know, they never call, they never write. Wednesday are from North Carolina and include within their studio members the great MJ Lenderman, who we have featured on this site before many times. This week, they’ve shared their first piece of new original music since the album “Rat Saw God”, which featured in a huge number of end-of-year lists back in 2023.
‘Elderberry Wine’ sees the band move away from their more shoegazey and heavily fuzzed-out leanings into a pedal-steel dripping slice of pure Americana. As lead singer Karly Hartzman notes, ““Elderberry Wine” is about the potential for sweet things in life (love, family, success) to become poison if not prepared for and attended to correctly. Elderberry is known as a healing fruit, and is an ingredient in many tonics and syrups to aid the immune system. One time, however, my sister consumed them raw, and it immediately induced vomiting. So “Elderberry Wine” is ultimately a love song about creating just the right environment for fulfillment. There’s a delicate balance that needs to be created, especially in love, for two lives to intersect without poisoning each other.”
Take care, everyone, don’t forget Palestine – each week, you think it can’t get any worse, and then it does – if it matters to you, don’t feel helpless, get involved and keep fighting the fascists. Have a good one, see you on Tuesday.
Great choice Mark. Lovely record