Released in April, Wanderwild’s sophomore LP, Sleep Tight, Socialite, is an album replete with snappy pocket grooves and soaring choruses. While there is no small degree of thoughtfulness in the band’s punchy songwriting or Matt Martin’s warm croon, the central vibe is given more to elation than earnestness. Indeed, if the record serves any purpose beyond being a sturdy collection of catchy as hell jams, it lies in its almost giddy willingness to prove, yet again, that guitar rock can be eminently danceable.

With “Doorway,” Wanderwild’s first single since sharing the LP, the band continue to hit all the right buttons. Bolstered by sleek hooks and a rousing guitar solo, the song takes everything that made Sleep Tight, Socialite successful and buffs it to a luminous shine. Martin delivers an especially inspired performance, leaning into every glossy melody with cool confidence. And yet, to hear him tell it, the song almost never made it out of the studio.

“‘Doorway’ started much closer to Jimmy Buffett than the Strokes,” Martin explains. “I wasn’t sold on it, but there was something special in the song’s initial sketches that Taylor [Cotton] was willing to fight for, and I’m glad he did. It turned into one of my favorite songs we’ve ever written as a band. I say that with almost every single we release, but I’m thankful for that. I’m thankful that we keep writing songs that we believe in. It’s about being hopeful amidst the dizzying and disorienting. It’s about patience, reconciling the past, and leaving room for questions. It’s about tight rhythms, playful melodies, and loud guitar solos. And it’s about time we hit the road to share it with people live.”

Directed by guitarist Alec Stanley, the video lives up to the song’s outsized ambition by quite literally embracing its dance-all-day enthusiasm. Describing the video is nowhere near as fun as watching it, so I’ll just say that it involves a pool, a boombox, and a young woman in red pants dancing ecstatically. Throw in a killer soundtrack and some sharp editing and suddenly those simple elements are transformed into something remarkably singular and rapturous.

Watch/listen above.

To help celebrate the release of “Doorway,” Wanderwild are taking to the road for a string of southeastern and East Coast dates. Kicking off with a hometown show on Sept. 11, the tour will first head down to Tampa before concluding on Sept. 25 in Brooklyn. Check out the full list of dates below.

Wanderwild Tour Dates
Sept. 11 – Athens, GA – Georgia Theatre w/ Nordista Freeze, Grand Vapids
Sept. 17 – Tampa, FL – Brass Mug w/ Nordista Freeze, Grant Lotus
Sept. 18 – Charleston, SC – Royal American w/ Cry Baby, Nordista Freeze
Sept. 19 – Atlanta, GA – The EARL w/ Seratones
Sept. 23 – Nashville, TN – The High Watt w/ Methyl Ethyl, Ada Lea
Sept. 24 – Richmond, VA – Richmond Music Hall w/ with Manatree, Cardinal
Sept. 25 – Brooklyn, NY – Baby’s All Right w/ Camp Howard

More Info
Web: wanderwildmusic.com
Bandcamp: wanderwild.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @wanderwildmusic
Instagram: @wanderwildmusic
SoundCloud: @wanderwild
Twitter: @wanderwildmusic