As a devoted fan of The Wilderness, my initial reaction to the first single from the Kingston band's forthcoming album was—unsurprisingly—overwhelmingly positive. Set to be released on January 31, "Strangers I Used To Love" is a highly polished and expertly-produced track. It has all the makings of an instant radio hit, complete with a catchy chorus that will linger long after your first listen.

Which is exactly what the band intended.

Deliberately decelerating their creative process, the six members invested their time and effort into carefully crafting a quality pop-rock song, and frankly, they've nailed it. To boot, they also enlisted the production help of Chris Koster, formerly of The Glorious Sons, who undoubtedly added further sheen to the track's tone. Fingers crossed that their collaboration will continue.

In anticipation of their full album release planned for April 2024, I caught up with the band who filled me in on the story and people behind "Strangers I Used To Love."

Q: For a catchy pop-rock song, “Strangers I Used To Love” bears a more somber theme. What inspired the song?

"I [Jonas Lewis-Anthony] grew up in the UK and moved to Canada when I was 19. During COVID, I was incredibly homesick and didn't get to see my family for over two and a half years. In July of 2022, I was able to go back… it was my older sister’s wedding and my mum’s 60th birthday. I felt like a stranger in my hometown. [Afterwards], we drove to a small town in Wales called Hay-on-Wye, where I had spent my summers as a kid. It’s a place I thought about often when I was homesick. The entire time I was there, I was thinking about how out of place I felt and how crushingly sad it made me feel when I realized that I had become a stranger even around people and places I used to love."

Q: What do you hope listeners will take away from "Strangers I Used To Love"?

"We hope they will reflect on their lives and how their experiences have shaped them. That’s what we were doing when we wrote it. Though the song might be a little more closely related to Jonas [Lewis-Anthony] and his experience, we think everyone can relate to being faced with past experiences and relationships that made you who you are today."

Understandably, the band was mum about plans for a tour to support the upcoming April album release. "You’ll have to keep your eyes out," they teased.

In the meantime, watch for "Strangers I Used To Love" to be released January 31 on Spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud, Tidal, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music. The single is currently available to the band's Patreon supporters only, who can also expect to hear a sneak peek of the rest of the album soon. web link Posted: Jan 25, 2024