ANCHR's Artist of the Week: The Wombats

Photo by Tom Oxley

The Wombats have been around for just shy of twenty years, so it’s more than likely you’ve heard one of their many ear worms along the way (especially with their recent resurgence on Tik Tok). The trio composed of Matthew “Murph” Murphy, Tord Øverland Knudsen, Dan Haggis formed in Liverpool, England back in 2003 and have crafted bops like “Let’s Dance to Joy Division,” “Greek Tragedy,” and “Turn” throughout their first four albums—just to name a few. On January 14th, The Wombats released their fifth studio album called Fix Yourself, Not The World, and it’s full of songs that are just as catchy and addictive as their previous releases.

With the pandemic, The Wombats had to figure out a way to adjust to the current times while recording the new record. The trio recorded the songs remotely over the past year, each from their homes across the globe— with Murph in LA, Tord in Oslo, and Dan in London. Talking about the process, the band says they discussed each day’s plan via Zoom, then recorded separately, sending individual files to producers Jacknife Lee, Gabe Simon, Paul Meaney, and Mark Crew. Murph describes the process as “pure madness” but as a long-time fan of the band, the end result has been incredible to listen to. It stays loyal to The Wombats’ true colors and core, but it also encompasses an impressive evolution.

To celebrate the new music, The Wombats are hitting the road, including a show here in Chicago on February 3rd. See all of their tour dates here, and grab tickets to the Chicago show here.