The Wilderness of Manitoba are not strangers to change. The only member remaining of the band’s original line up from 2009 — frontman Will Whitwam — stresses how important change is for a band in order for them to grow. With a constantly rotating lineup of musicians, change is inevitable for The Wilderness of Manitoba, but Whitwam sees this only as a positive thing.
For him, the constantly changing line-up of collaborators has moved the band forward rather then stalled them at a specific sound. He believes that it has only produced growth, with each new member bringing something new to the band’s sound. This can be heard on their newest album, Between Colours.
With vocalist Amanda Balsys joining the band for their new record, the sound is yet again different from their previous work. This album has shared vocals, a change from the usual lead vocals of Whitwam and female backup vocals. This collaboration has proved the most difficult for Whitwam to reciprocate, with Balsys not joining the band on their current Canadian tour with Elliot Brood.
“Amanda was the most difficult to replace because of her unique sound,” said Whitwam, “[but] we managed to find someone to take her place on tour.”
According to Whitwam, this has been the only major challenge associated with the ever-evolving group. The process of collaboration has always come naturally, with the frontman meeting fellow musicians eager to work together to further develop The Wilderness of Manitoba’s unique sound.
So far, Whitwam has not felt the band to have a static musical identity. To him, the band’s signature sounds are the male and female vocals, which are present on every album and most apparent on Between Colours. These vocals, combined with heavy melodies and stronger bass instrumentals frame the band’s newest album within its signature sound while adding a new flavour to the music.
The strong bass instrumentals on this album have brought up multiple comparisons to Fleetwood Mac. Between Colours has emerged as The Wilderness of Manitoba’s strongest and most dynamic-sounding record, which Whitwam credits to the balanced male and female vocals. When asked about the comparison to Fleetwood Mac, Whitwam said that this was not an intended sound, nor was Fleetwood Mac an inspiration for the album, but he can see where the comparison comes from.
Whitwam also cites others from a similar era as providing early inspiration for his music. People such as Joni Mitchell and Simon and Garfunkel are behind The Wilderness’s music, influencing their folk-based sound that has developed over the years to produce diverse harmonies. The Wilderness of Manitoba has grown from a folk group to an unclassifiable collective of musicians.
The Wilderness of Manitoba are playing February 13 at The Commodore Ballroom. For more information, visit thewildernessofmanitoba.com
