Wyland is (Band Members & What Instruments They Play): Ryan Sloan – Vocals, Piano, Guitar | Mauricio Salazar – Guitar | Richard Joyce – Drums/ Percussion
We Formed In: Early 2013
We’re Based Out Of: Kearny, NJ
The Story Behind The Name: Well, it’s funny because the title of our most recent EP is what essentially inspired the band’s name. A close friend of ours misinterpreted a lyric from Bon Iver’s Halocene as ‘You’re In The World, Get Off Your Feet’ and when I found it wasn’t the correct lyric, I thought ‘That is one of the most beautiful misinterpretations I’ve ever heard. Let’s use it.’ and it ended up inspiring our band name Wyland. Our mindset was if you’re flying high, why ever get back on the ground. Why land? – Ryan Sloan
New Music Coming Out: We are in the studio right now writing and recording new material. – Richard Joyce
You guys won The Break Contest in 2014 – how did this win impact your career?
I think the Break Contest helped put us on a path. We got a taste of a what an outdoor festival stage was like and it made us want more. Since then, we’ve traveled around the country touring, played with some incredible national acts and made a ton of new friends along the way. -Mauricio Salazar
Wyland performed at The Gentlemen of the Road Stopover Downtown Stage a few weeks ago. Can you talk about that experience — how you were brought on to perform, the actual performance, the overall experience of the festival?
We were asked to play the festival and it was obviously something we couldn’t turn down. We had the opportunity to perform on two stages, one outdoor stage and the other at an official after party at Jax’s Garage, where Winston Marshall and Ted Dwane of Mumford and Sons performed after us. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience. The energy was undeniable and the crowd seemed to really enjoy it. – RJ
Think back to the first time Wyland performed on stage — how do you think you have evolved since that date, and what mistake did you learn the most from?
I cringe a bit thinking back to that. I actually feel quite terrible for the people that had to listen to us back then. No, but we’ve certainly come a long way since those humble beginnings. I think the biggest mistake that we learned from was just how to build a setlist that works for the audience you’re playing for. As a band, we’re more or less the DJ for the night. Thus, we control the mood and setting based off of what we play. I think that was probably the toughest thing to master. – RS
What’s been your proudest accomplishment as a part of Wyland?
I would have to say the GOTR Stopover in Seaside was beautiful milestone for us. It was the first festival we played where we were performing for an audience that fit us one hundred percent. – RJ
What do you love most about being in Wyland?
I love being able to make music with my best friends while traveling from place to place together. We’re a family at the end of the day. We laugh, we cry and we sing together. That’s what I love most about being in Wyland. – RS
There are so many bands that perform in Asbury Park – what separates you guys from everyone else?
Well, we absolutely adore Asbury Park. When I moved out here from California, Asbury Park was one of the first places I came running too. I think what separates Wyland from all of the other incredible talent that I’ve seen come in and out of Asbury Park, is that we’re not like any band from Jersey. We often get compared to British rock bands. I think what ultimately sets us a part, is that we try to give our audience a different experience. We have songs that are written for arenas and we have songs that are written for coffee shops. The combination of the two sends people home with something to remember. – MS
If someone had never heard Wyland before and you had to recommend a track for them to listen to in order to fully understand what Wyland is — what would that song be and why?
Hopefully any song would do the trick! But I suppose I’d say MIDAS is a good one to sum up Wyland. The dynamics of the song as well as the lyrical message are things that are recurrent in our music. – RS
What do you have planned for summer? For the rest of 2015?
We’re hoping to actually spend much more time in Asbury Park, possibly move in together somewhere off of Main Street. We’ll also be releasing new material over the summer and into the fall. – RS
Wyland performs with We’re Ghosts Now, Statues and Stores,
https://youtu.be/k2io7B-pIKw
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