Inside The Bubble: Exclusive Interview With Wren Wilder

A new single from indie-pop artist Wren Wilder, “Egyptian Cotton,” is released alongside a fun music video. This record showcases Wren’s unique style of color, design, dance, and animation. The song’s title pays homage to Wren’s Egyptian-American heritage, as well as to advice one of his friends gave: “If you’re the coolest person at the table, you’re at the wrong table.”

“Egyptian Cotton” was created at the Panoramic House, an architecturally historic house in the middle of Mt. Tamalpais State Park, CA. As an environmentalist and creator of the Wilder Earth Movement, being surrounded by nature was an integral part of the songwriting. Throughout all aspects of production, Wren assembled an all-female cast of creatives to celebrate the effectiveness of working with women in a male-dominated industry.

We fell in love with the piece because of its swingy, fabric universe of daytime energy. This song could easily have been deployed in a future Grease film soundtrack. If that film project comes to life we are putting it into the universe that Chris Helmsworth plays the role of Danny Zucko. The music Wilder feels very theatrical with flowery flair.

We caught up with Wren to ask a few questions about the song, style, and her career.

The Artist

Bubblingbox: What made you want to be a musician, who was your inspiration?

Wren: Growing up in my house was never boring or silent. My father was playing the drums, or my mother would be playing her old Billie Holiday and Nina Simone records. The rule was this: we will never force our children to play music, but we will fill the house with instruments and inspire them with our actions. It worked: my brother and I played anything we could get our hands-on, starting with the piano. Soon after, I asked my dad to teach me guitar after seeing how happy he was using it for his own songwriting endeavors. Then, when I found artists like Regina Spektor and Fiona Apple, it totally changed everything. I didn’t know music could be so raw and real. Artists like that encouraged me to expand my interest from being a performer of covers to a writer of originals.

Bubblingbox: We understand you are based in Los Angeles now. Where are you from originally?

Wren: I grew up in a lake community in Northern New Jersey alongside the Appalachian Trail. My parents love nature, and they wanted my younger brother and me to have full access to it. It really fueled the way I appreciate the earth, and I think that if I grew up somewhere more suburban, my perspective might be different.

Bubblingbox: What instruments do you play on your recordings?

Wren: I’m a multi-instrumentalist, so I pretty much try to play anything that I’m allowed to touch. Some of the most interesting things I’ve been able to record with are theremin, electric Wurlitzer, mellotron, and xylophone. Oh, and on my last album, I was able to get my paws on Stevie Wonder’s piano from “Songs in the Key of Life,” which was insane!

The Vibe

Bubblingbox: When it comes to your style, what do you wish to convey to your audiences?

Wren: The biggest thing I care about is that my music lifts people up and brings them closer to an answer that they’ve been seeking. The result of this desire definitely comes through in my new look for this project. I was drawn to bright, bold colors that can inspire people to go out and take action on things they want and care about. I really feel like I’ve done a complete 180 in my stylistic presentation for this new music. I finally feel like myself, and I think that’s a good look for my audience. I want the brightness of my music and the art that surrounds it to help people love life and love themselves more and more every day.

Bubblingbox: In your Bio, it mentions evolution, can you give us two words to describe yourself at the beginning of that process, and two to describe where you are now?

Wren: Well, I think the two words, in the beginning, would be: lonely and afraid. I wasn’t collaborating with nearly enough people and took on a lot of the work myself. Now that I’ve “found a table with cooler people,” I would say these two words have transformed into empowered and confident.

Bubblingbox: Why is the song “Egyptian Cotton” important to you as a musician?

Wren: I’ve never had something that I am prouder of. This song is exactly me. It’s bright, cheerful, and uplifting, and it’s who I am and who I want to be (for myself and others). This song is also significant to me because of the team I surrounded myself with. On my last record, I had many of the same intentions and goals, but there was a disconnect between my artistry and myself.  It was during the pandemic that I realized I was really sad about not having a team (because so much of who is around you while you’re making art shines into the music).  I decided I wanted to hire a team of women and female-identifying badasses to inspire me and bring me strength. Bringing on this kind of collaboration was the best decision I’ve made so far, and it quickly showed. These people honored my individuality and my art in a way that inspired me every day to bring “Egyptian Cotton” to life.

Watch the official video below.

Bubblingbox: What is your driving force for your career, what do you hope to accomplish?

Wren: I want to accomplish everything! Haha, life couldn’t be shorter. I want to heal the earth and wake people up, encouraging them to love life. I want to find meaning in things that don’t make sense. I want to collaborate with all of my favorite artists and inspire younger musicians to live freely and to be brave.

Bubblingbox: Is there anyone currently making music that you have your eye on? Who do you look after for things to listen to?

Wren: I am so impressed and proud of the musicians that our generation gets to enjoy. We have Jacob Collier, Imogen Heap, H.E.R, Sufjan Stevens, Jack White, Anderson Paak… the list goes on and on. They are one in a billion, and their expertise and musicality are incredibly inspiring to me.  I’m constantly discovering new playlists on Spotify for new music, searching on Instagram for inspiration, and trying to collaborate with the artists I love. BB radio and other independent non-comm radio stations are also such a solid way to find artists you wouldn’t find anywhere else. I’m all about knowing who’s cool before they blow up. I like to make predictions and watch them come true.

Bubblingbox: Will this single be a part of a larger project? Are you working on an album?

Wren: As the “Goddess of Pop,” Cher once said, “you haven’t seen the last of me.”

We certainly hope that means there will be a plentiful supply of new projects in the future. We thank Wren for providing such a great interview! We wish you the best in all that you do.

Photo Credit: Susan O’Brien