waNda wilsoN – biography
Independently driven and not afraid to drive, waNda wilsoN travels the road less taken. With guitar slung over her shoulder, tunes in her back pocket, and candid tales to tell, she veers through the world in her own way.
A self-taught musician, wilsoN’s sound is raw and edgy. Her approach is bold and out of the ordinary. Not to mention pretty damn cool. Her musical foray is rooted in DIY style, fueling her with optimism and passion, and igniting her determination to work with what she has.
Whether a homemade amp fashioned from an old suitcase, custom drum kit pieced together one skin at a time, or some obscure outdoor location, wilsoN’s tendency to ‘make do’ conveys a style that speaks for itself. With a hint of folk-rock sprinkled with a smidgeon of garden-punk, she truly constructs an alternative blend of music meant to be heard as much as seen.
It was the realization that music can be a great teacher and healer that drove wilsoN to eventually embark upon her own musical journey. She finds inspiration all around her, from the performances of friends and buskers, to artists like The Pixies, The Violent Femmes, Ember Swift, Kinnie Star, Lucinda Williams and George Jones.
Growing up in Northern Manitoba, the gravel roads to discovering her true calling were long, winding, and not easy. But once she started on her way, she just kept going. wilsoN embraced it as an infinite challenge to trust the unknown, and learn from life’s lessons. She would also learn to believe in herself.
It was a fateful Sunday afternoon when wilsoN and a new acquaintance started jamming under the Donald Street Bridge in Winnipeg. They liked the downtown underground sound so much that they embarked on recording music with battery-operated gear that allotted the freedom to play wherever, whenever. Their arsenal included old 58 mics, a portable mixer, natural acoustics, and the unwavering sense of adventure.
Low on dough yet high on drive, Under Donald slowly took shape as a labour of love, becoming the fruits of spent time and unwavering endeavour. While recording, people stopped, clapped, danced, cheered, and donated. Money earned from the ‘guerilla’ underground performances and other shows helped to pay for itself in terms of the recordings and the final mastering of the tracks. In the end, you won’t hear a polished performance with clean mixes and subtle fadeouts. What you will experience is a truly unique musical collaboration that connected and came together live, while remaining completely intact and fully raw. It is what it is. As someone described it, “beautifully imperfect…”
Under Donald is as real as music gets, and as authentic as waNda wilsoN herself. Not a natural performer by any means, wilsoN admits to sometimes feeling shy and incoherent when she first gets up on stage. As soon as she starts to play something happens, with each passing moment, and each new strum, the nervousness melts away. She learns to just go with it and opens up. Like a tenacious little weed pushing through a crack in the concrete next to a garden full of flawless flowers, her presence is undeniable.
Beautifully imperfect, perhaps.
Although it took a while to show herself to the world, waNda wilsoN is finally on her way, doing what she was destined to do – creating, allowing herself to let go, and moving forward. For right now, there’s no question she’s in the driver’s seat, with one thing for certain, wherever this waNderer goes, her talent continues to grow.
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