Wild Pink Talks Similarities With Spinal Tap Ahead of Bluebird Show

Wild Pink will never be mistaken for Spinal Tap, but the New York City band’s penchant for sprinkling some sarcasm throughout albums, particularly on new record Dulling the Horns (released October 4 via NYC label Fire Talk), brings to mind the fictional heavy-metal troupe.

You could definitely see a song like “The Fences of Stonehenge,” the latest album opener, performed on stage with an undersized recreation of Stonehenge, similar to the one revealed in This Is Spinal Tap. “We need one. I would love that,” says John Ross, Wild Pink’s founding vocalist and guitarist.

While “The Fences of Stonehenge” is a love song and not a rock-ballad ode to the monoliths, Ross admits to being inspired by the offbeat and unusual at times. For him, a song could take shape when he’s doomscrolling, just watching TV or both. He’s not too peculiar about when or where an idea strikes him. He just has to be ready.

Ross says the track “Eating The Egg Whole” is about Michael Jordan – kind of.

“I was watching The Last Dance, that Michael Jordan documentary on Netflix. That’s a big part of where that song came from. It was over the holidays, and I was laying around a lot on my phone and it’s kind of about anxiety from scrolling, the doomscroll,” he explains, adding that he doesn’t “know where [the title] came from.” But it’s not the group’s first egg reference: See 2018’s Yolk in the Fur.

Since 2015, Ross’s experiences, both good and bad, have been translated into Wild Pink, including his battle with cancer; he was diagnosed in 2021 while working on ILYSM (2022). His material is why Wild Pink – which also includes bassist Arden Yonkers, drummer Dan Keegan and steel guitarist Mike Brenner – is so prolific, with five LPS and five EPs to date.

“Well, it’s just my favorite thing. I just love writing songs and recording,” says the reserved Ross. He credits his previous career as a music writer for television and commercials as training him to be more consistent.

“It was pretty regimented. There was a strict schedule, and I think that helped me to always be working on stuff, always be writing,” he continues. “But I wish I had a schedule. I’m always thinking about songs that I’m working on, but it’s not as regimented as that. I’m always on my phone writing stuff down.”

Early on, the road used to be his writing room, but now he prefers less stimulating circumstances.

“On our first two records, we would do a lot of DIY touring, and I seemed to come up with more ideas on the road then,” Ross shares. “Now I feel like the more boring the environment is: The more I can have a fresh idea, [the] more time to watch TV.”

That’s a little ironic, considering he aimed for the album title Dulling the Horns to reference how the music industry wears you down. But this is still an album that’s meant to be played live, loud and proud.

Wild Pink will do just that on Friday, February 28, at the Bluebird Theater, while opening for Asheville singer-songwriter MJ Lenderman. Before that, the tour stops in Fort Collins and Boulder for shows at the Aggie Theatre and Fox Theatre on Wednesday, February 26, and Thursday, February, respectively. The tour’s Front Range run ends on Saturday, March 1, with a show at the Black Sheep in Colorado Springs.

“Yeah, that was the goal – songs that were enjoyable to play live. The previous record was kind of hard to do that. The songs weren’t really tailored to playing live,” Ross says. “The arrangements lend themselves better to a four-piece band, whereas before there was a lot of acoustic piano and some sound-design stuff. It was just hard to replicate.”

Plus, Dulling the Horns is more upbeat and irreverent, musically and lyrically, especially compared to the “heavier subject material” of ILYSM, according to Ross, who is now cancer-free. In that sense, the ten songs are a carefree celebration through Wild Pink’s Americana-inspired, grunged-out indie rock.

“We wanted to write a really fun record. I like to have fun with the lyrics, too,” he concludes. “We just really wanted to have fun and tell fun and funny stories with the songs.”

Wild Pink, with MJ Lenderman, 8 p.m Friday, February 28, Bluebird Theater, 3317 East Colfax. Tickets are $125-$199.