Let’s have a look at the manual, shall we. Specifically, the chapter on artist development, somewhere between the one on branding tips and the other on the guide to touring. I see there’s an emphasis on consistency, on finding and flushing out your sound, on building a niche audience (whatever that means). There’s also something about establishing a core identity, breeding familiarity, and, oh yeah, a hint or two about “sticking to your guns.” It’s all safe, comfortable advice—a middle management guide for musicians that most bands buy into, maybe without realizing it.

It doesn’t have to be this way, of course. Just look at Athens shape-shifters Wieuca. In their relatively short life span, the group has become known for restlessly evolving and never sticking with a specific sound or style. Sure, you could argue that their music falls under the general umbrella of psychedelia, but when you dig into the specifics of their songs, there are bits and strands of varying genres, everything from gritty punk and shoegaze to glimmering pop and freewheeling jam rock. If there’s a foundation to Wieuca’s mutant aesthetic, it’s one built on unrepentant eclecticism. But if the band fears stretching themselves too thin and losing their base, they certainly aren’t letting on. “The Beastie Boys did a million genres, but it was always Beastie Boys,” says singer and guitarist Will Ingram. “We end up sounding like us even when we try not to.”

With their new EP Local Celebrity out tomorrow, the band once again finds itself in the midst of a metamorphosis. Gone is longtime bassist and producer Sam Kempe, replaced by new bassist Jack Webster and Andrew Cleveland (Big Morgan, Mad Ace) on synths and samples. Invigorated by new blood and an expanded lineup, Wieuca’s latest collection is their most experimental and forward-thinking release to date. It’s replete with euphoric songs heavy on rumbling industrial noise and glitchy textures. There are ample melodies and hooks, of course—even Wieuca’s most left-field excursions seem to carry with them a gleam of pop polish—but overall it’s a record inspired by the more mechanicalized sounds of modern hip-hop and electronic music.

“I think these songs are just a little more informed by elements of hip-hop/rap production than some of our previous stuff,” says drummer Robert Smith. “The textures are often more synthetic and the rhythms, especially with the percussion, are more rigid and intentionally mechanical sounding than anything we’ve really done previously. So maybe hip-hop might not be the exact reference point, but instead current electronic music in general.”

There is perhaps no better example of Local Celebrity’s spirited, synth-heavy aesthetic than its lead track “Ruby Red.” Simultaneously fervent and atmospheric, the track pairs Wieuca’s penchant for heady, immersive songcraft with visceral dance grooves that simmer and crackle across your speakers. It’s a long way from the more familiar mix of propulsive rock and alt-country that marked their last LP, Guilt Complex. But if you listen closely, it’s easy to discover and tie together the threads that bind both versions of the band. Even the video, which we’re excited to premiere today, seems to strike a balance between the tripped-out psychedelia of the band’s past and the artier, more esoteric leanings of the new EP. It’s a wild, ever-shifting assortment of images both disturbingly odd and weirdly surreal, leaving any semblance of meaning open to individual interpretation.

Which brings us, in a roundabout way, to the record’s title and thematic framework. In a scene as insular as Athens has been known to be (and to a similar degree, Atlanta as well), it’s easy to succumb to herd mentality or to be lulled into a false sense of success. For Ingram and his bandmates, navigating individual sub-scenes and friendship groups requires participants to adopt different personas, which means identities are constantly in flux, which in turn can lead to inflated egos and a skewed sense of self.

“Everyone has multiple personalities, and your identity is relative to who’s around you,” Ingram argues. “A ‘local celebrity’ just buys what the people around them are saying, but their existence is totally negligible.”

For Wieuca, the new EP represents an opportunity to begin forging an identity outside of the expectations placed on them by the music community, or as they write in their press release, their “friends in the rock world.” That may seem like an obvious or easy thing to do, but it doesn’t explain why so many artists are terrified of change and exploring new creative avenues. Evolution can be a difficult, even painful process, but for Wieuca it’s the only way forward. To hell with the manual.

Wieuca will perform on Thu., Mar. 8 at 529 alongside Juan De Fuca, Poppies, and Blanko. Doors open at 9 p.m. Admission is $7. 21+ to enter.

More Info
Web: wieucamusic.com
Bandcamp: wieuca.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @wieucaband
Instagram: @wieucallc
SoundCloud: @wieuca
Twitter: @wieucaLLC