A triad with some of Los Angeles’ finest emerging talents is coming together as the new rock group Wax Charmer, sharing their debut single “Emblem“. The alt-rock, bossa nova inspired anthem languishes in the reality of modern American life – an era of uncertainty mixed with memories of safer, more stable times long before emboldened hate, blatant corruption and mass deception took over the news.
Songwriter and vocalist J.H. Kleinman explains the track’s lyrical background:
“The song has gone through a few iterations, starting after the Las Vegas shooting in late 2017, however it always revolved around the idea that ‘we are facing huge problems but are ignoring them until they arrive on our individual doorsteps.’
I think my Jewish upbringing had a lot to do with where my thoughts ended up. There are so many things that I read about in the news that I think to myself, ‘if you swap out proper nouns and the year, this is exactly what I learned in all my classes about how the Holocaust began.’ And even still, things are only getting worse.
One can think of themselves as a well-informed person who believes they would ‘do something,’ but the reality is that we are so consumed in our own lives, that we rarely make the effort to try and make a change in whatever capacity we can. And of course, when you’re living in a 24hr. news cycle dominated by an egomaniac, things tend to feel like they’ll never end (but they will… one day hopefully). It’s important to recognize the power of awareness in ensuring you claim your stake in the changes that come your way.”
“Emblem” comes full force with a dose of reality, in a cyclical way that touches both on fear and hopefulness in the same beat. It offers a landscape of emotions that many of this generation can sympathize with.
As we draw nearer to 2020, listeners can expect a wide array of music to come from Wax Charmer. Diehard fans of the LA gem Jubilo Drive will note some familiar faces, as the former bandmates Kleinman, Henry Kuckens, and Jacob Lauing have regrouped and evolved as the new outfit Wax Charmer. While Jubilo Drive had many sentiments, it was time for the name to match the freshly developed sound they were now creating together.
According to the group, Wax Charmer is a series of contradictions, a rock band whose members wield widely contrasting tastes and musical styles. Their diverse collection of influences ultimately makes its members more informed and nuanced musicians.