Three questions with the artists of Wanderland 2017

This year’s edition of Wanderland is only a week and a half away. On Saturday, March 4, music fans will converge once again, this time at the Filinvest City Event Grounds in Alabang, for the country’s biggest indie music festival.

The full lineup has already been announced, and we’re excited to see some familiar names (The Temper Trap, UDD, Explosions in the Sky), as well as first-timers to the country (The Ting-Tings, LANY, Honne, Yuna, Purity Ring, and Woodlock). Local favorites and hot new acts complete the lineup (Urbandub’s Gab and John, Tom’s Story, Fools and Foes, Reese Lansangan, Lola Amour, Banna Harbera, and Mickey Sulit).

Karpos Multimedia, which organizes the annual event, gave me the chance to shoot some of the artists some questions. Whether you’re already fans or this is the first time you’re hearing them, get to know them a little bit more in this fun Q&A:

THE TEMPER TRAP

a. Where are you now and what can you see outside your window?

Jonathon Aherne (bassist): I'm on tour at the moment, so we’re driving on our tour bus, and I see a bunch of open fields.

b. What are your best memories from playing at the inaugural Laneway Festival back in 2012?

That was a great experience! It was one of our first festival shows, so we have a deep history and it remains one of my favorite festivals.

c. How much different do you think your sound is now compared to five years ago?

I think we have become better players, but there's still so many things we have kept the same. Truth be told, I think we are just better versions of what we’ve always been as The Temper Trap.

THE TING TINGS

a. Where are you and what's outside your window?

We are in currently in Southern Spain finishing album four. Outside the studio window is lemon trees, mountains and.... rabbits. Focus focus....

b. Your songs have become club/dancefloor staples. What are your favorite dance hits from other artists?

It's impossible to narrow down our favorites, we have so many.

1. Early inspirations... New Young Pony Club 'Ice Cream'...

2. Mid Ibiza loves... Haze & Noir "Around" Solomon remix....

3. Latest addictions... Arctic Monkeys 1st album "Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not". And all music by The Smiths, of course.

c. What's one thing you can't live without when you're traveling/on tour?

Apart from our phones and laptops…

Jules = healthy food (always a challenge to eat well).

Katie = a good hat!

YUNA

a. Where are you and what's outside your window?

I'm in a green room for a US TV show taping so there are no windows. It's kinda sad but I'm excited because I'm about to go out and perform with Jhene Aiko!

b. What's your songwriting process like? Where do you get ideas for your music?

I write stories, whether its from a conversation with friends, a movie or reading a book. I like to often write from personal experiences, things that people can relate to.

c. How would you describe Malaysian music now to people in the rest of Southeast Asia?

I feel like my music crosses over many genres, and I feel that other artists from Malaysia are doing a similar thing. We are just trying to reach a wider audience with music we love.

HONNE

a. Where are you and what's outside your window?

Hello. I am currently in my home studio, taking a break from writing some music for our next album to have a chat with you. Outside my window is a nice bit of sunshine, casting light on a tree-lined, autumnal, London street. I hope to experience some of that sunlight later on. It's not that common in England!

b. What do you think you'd be doing now if HONNE didn't exist?

I honestly have absolutely no idea. Probably writing music and trying to make HONNE exist.

c. What's one song or album that inspired you the most?

I would have to say "History" by Michael Jackson. I grew up listening to that album and MJ's History tour was the first gig I ever went to at Wembley Stadium. I still love Quincy Jones' production too. An example of how much influence it had on me can be found in our track "All In The Value", where you'll find a nod to Eddie Van Halen's guitar solo in Michael Jackson's "Beat It."

WOODLOCK

a. Where are you and what's outside your window?

I am at my house after arriving back from our Australian tour. As I look outside my window an unkempt rosebush stands next to an even worse lawn. I think to myself, “I should probably do some gardening.” But then I remember its 32 degrees outside.
It can wait until tomorrow.

b. Whats the best thing you’ve ever heard someone say about your band?

That our music helped them through a hard time or that our songs were the soundtrack to certain memories. We all know what its like to have songs mean that to us, so to have written a song that people feel that way about is so special to have done.

c. What’s the most important lesson you learned while busking in the streets of Melbourne?

That you need to connect with your audience. You can be the best musician but if there is no connection there is no spark. Music is a language all of its own and if no one can connect with what you are playing and singing it’s like trying to speak to someone in a language they don't understand.

LANY

a. Where are you now and what can you see outside your window?

I’m sitting in my kitchen in Malibu, and I can see a lot of plants and trees.

b. If you could write a love song for anyone in the world, who would you write it for?

I like to keep that kind of stuff to myself.

c. What's the best thing about being LANY these days?

Getting to travel the world playing our songs.

— BM, GMA News

This year's Wanderland Music Arts Festival will be held at the Filinvest City Event Grounds in Alabang, Muntinlupa on Saturday, March 4 from noon until midnight.

Paul John Caña is a writer and live music geek. Check out his blog manontheotherside.blogspot.com. Email him at pjcana@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter and Instagram @pauljohncana.