For Wanderer’s Adam Simons, quarantine has consisted of gearing up for releases, recording live studio sessions, or filming videos with his collaborators detailing the making of his recent releases. After the release of his debut album in January, he was hoping to spend 2020 on the road. Instead, he’s putting out more music, spending time with his corgi, brewing kombucha, and attempting to garden in the ruthless Arizona heat.
The EP opens with the self-assured anthem “Give It Up,” followed by a cover of the Outfield’s “Your Love.” With a new chord structure and mellowed out tempo, Simons makes the track his own and puts a modern pop spin on a shimmering car radio classic. He first tackled the song at a live acoustic set years ago. The idea to properly record it never left him.
“I’ve made my living in the past singing covers at restaurants and bars and around town and doing that working musician life,” explains Simons. “That’s been a big part of my growth as a musician and it’s important to me to keep doing that. It’s a cool thing because people who know [“Your Love”] will hopefully be drawn into this version.” He gravitates toward covering older songs. Past covers have included Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” and Whitney Houston’s “How Will I Know.”
The EP’s new original track “In Your Eyes” lived as a demo for a couple of years before getting picked. With the help of Stephen Gomez (who also produced “Give It Up”), Simons gave the song a makeover. The result was the radio-worthy, big-chorused pop song that we hear on the EP. The lyrics paint a picture of the magic and elation that take over your life when you’re falling in love and a new relationship is falling perfectly into place. Writing from personal experience, Simons sings that “water tastes like the sweetest wine” when you’re with that person.
Touring may not be in the picture quite yet, but we can expect more behind-the-song videos and neon-tinged live studio performances from Wanderer in the near future.
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