TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — US indie rock band Wednesday will play The Wall in Taipei on Tuesday, arriving on the momentum of its widely praised album "Bleeds."
US National Public Radio wrote that "Bleeds" could be the album of the year, with the New York Times offering similar laurels, singling out the band in the article “Who Says Rock Is Dead?”
The latter referred readers to the song “Bitter Everyday,” a defiant, sun-soaked music video that proves guitar-driven rock remains vital. In the clip, frontwoman Karly Hartzman dances on a pontoon boat with an open bottle in hand, an image of youthful rebellion, and Southern summer freedom.
The band’s rise, however, has come at a cost. Nearly a full year of touring strained internal dynamics. Longtime guitarist MJ Lenderman no longer performs live, though he has not formally left the band.
Lenderman has proven successful in his own right with the release of “Manning Fireworks” and through high-profile collaborations, including touring with Southern indie rock act Waxahatchee.
Wednesday rose to prominence with “Elderberry Wine,” a song whose bittersweet drawl has found heavy rotation on college radio and in Taipei bars such as Park Life Plus. Alongside standouts such as “Quarry,” the band balances melody with grit, while tracks such as “Chosen to Deserve” nod to Southern rock traditions, channeling the heartland swagger of Tom Petty through layers of distortion.
Formed at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, Wednesday’s songs read like entries from a collective diary, chronicling drinking, partying, and the cycles of falling in and out of love with an emotional directness that resonates with fans.
Hartzman deepens that connection through her personal blog, where she shares record recommendations, film reviews, and favorite books. Many of her lyrics are drawn directly from her writing, further blurring the line between life and art.
Critics have delighted in trying to define the band’s sound, often bouncing between genres. Rolling Stone described Wednesday as “Southern gothic,” while also praising their “fuzzy, feral shoegaze.” Any concern that such labels imply softness is quickly dispelled in concert.
That proof typically arrives with “Bull Believer,” an eight-minute-plus closer that plunges into psychedelia, feedback, and controlled chaos. With blackened lips and amplifiers pushed to their limits, the song often caps a 20-plus-track set, leaving audiences exhausted and exhilarated.
In Taipei, that same raw energy is likely to find a receptive audience among fans of alternative guitar music. If Wednesday’s rise has demonstrated anything, it is that rock still thrives on honesty, camaraderie, and a band unafraid to let things get loud.
Wednesday performs at The Wall in Taipei on Tuesday. For more information, follow the link.
