WIM

Performing lush, richly orchestrated pop music with strongly emotive vocals, Wim are an indie rock band from Sydney, Australia. Wim were formed in late 2007 by songwriters Martin Solomon (who also sings lead) and Simon Jankelson (who is also the group's guitarist). The members of the band have eclectic backgrounds — Jankelson and drummer Harry Thynne first collaborated in a klezmer-punk ensemble, while Jankelson, guitarist Saul Woodak, and bassist Dustin Bookatz previously worked in an electronic-oriented band with Daniel Stricker, who would later form the Midnight Juggernauts. However, once they began working together, the members of Wim absorbed a new range of influences, from classic pop of the 1960s and folk-rock to progressive rock and contemporary independent sounds. Eager to make their live presentation as distinctive as their music, Wim began establishing their own club nights, with unusual stage settings, dramatic lighting, and performance artists giving the show a unique and theatrical temperament as they shared the stage with like-minded bands and DJs. Wim's unusual music and image earned them a powerful reputation on the Australian underground music scene, and in 2010 the group signed a deal with one of Australia's most prestigious labels, Modular Recordings. For their self-titled debut album, Wim traveled to Los Angeles, California to record with producer Tony Buchen; legendary American producer Bob Clearmountain mixed the material, and the project was mastered by Bob Ludwig. The album was released in mid-2011, and the band made its American debut at the South by Southwest Music Conference in March 2012.