Wild Nothing Founder 'Dumbfounded' by Success

Last summer, Jack Tatum was gearing up for his senior year at Virginia Tech. The songwriter and multi-instrumentalist had recently started Wild Nothing, then a one-man recording project, and even if he suspected his songs were good, he had no reason to believe that, a mere 12 months later, he'd be touring England, promoting an acclaimed debut album. And yet, that's exactly what he's doing.

"It definitely caught me off guard," Tatum tells Spinner, reflecting on the success of 'Gemini,' released earlier this year on Brooklyn's Captured Tracks label. "Making an album wasn't even something I really had in the works. I wasn't planning on it. I was just recording music for fun."

Wild Nothing is now a genuine four-piece band, but throughout the writing and recording of 'Gemini,' Tatum worked by himself. Although he likes the freedom that comes with being a solo artist, he says it can make the recording process somewhat time-consuming.

"Throughout the year, I was just chipping away at the album and trying to balance that and school," the recent graduate says. "I never had the time to even think about where I was playing with everything. I certainly didn't expect it to do as well as it has or to have gotten the reaction it has. I'm still completely dumbfounded, to be honest."

Fans of 'Gemini' give as reasons for liking the album its hazy, hypnotic feel and references to moody British guitar bands. Detractors cite those same qualities, Tatum says, accusing him of ripping off his '80s influences.

"I almost feel like I get flack for that sometimes, because I've heard people describe it as blatant nostalgia," Tatum says. "I don't think that's necessarily fair. There's a certain romanticism about those ['80s] bands. It's not necessarily about my own personal nostalgia. It's just that they have a kind of nostalgic sound, and they kind of bring about those feelings. I don't think that's something I alone experience. I think that's something a lot of people get from this style of music, and this era of music."