Lana Wild has released her new EP ‘Bare’.
After being lucky enough to attend her secret EP launch show, we can confirm the tracks live are just as beautiful, with meaningful lyrics behind every single line.
It’s an in-depth insight into Lana’s life with an emotionally honest take on her transition and the struggles she has faced throughout her life.
Wrapped up into carefully curated singles, it’s a 4-track treat with a story that deserves to be heard.
To celebrate the EP, we caught up with Lana to uncover 5 tracks that influenced ‘Bare’.
Against Me! – True Trans Soul Rebel | Listen via Spotify
Against Me! have always been a big deal for me, as I grew up listening to punk rock but also heavyweights like Springsteen and The Eagles AM! were really the first band I heard that bridged that gap between aggressive punk rock and huge rock songs with folk-inspired storytelling in the lyrics.
Laura Jane Grace coming out as transgender in 2012 in Rolling Stone was really the first time I’d heard someone describe or publicly do what I felt inside, and it blew my mind. Her brutal honesty about transitioning on their following album ‘Transgender Dysphoria Blues’, but especially this song, not only inspired me to come out myself but to continue writing music. I actually cover it regularly too! A must-listen for anyone questioning their gender or who feels alone.
Frank Turner – I Still Believe | Listen via Spotify
Frank Turner has for a long time been on just about every single playlist I’ve ever made, and in some way has inspired just about all of my songwriting through the years. For me, he’s one of the kings of a huge chorus and direct lyrics that are somehow still poetic and stick with you for years to come. This song, in particular, was the last song I heard before walking into the clinic to start Hormone Replacement Therapy – and it’s really just about the importance of music and of being yourself. So much so I have the title tattooed on me! Thanks Frank!
Frightened Rabbit – The Modern Leper | Listen via Spotify
I always get really emotional listening to, talking about or writing about Frightened Rabbit. Scott Hutchison’s continual directness about the state of his mental health spoke and still does speak volumes to me as I’ve struggled with my own for the majority of my adult life. I listened to this record a lot around his passing, but in particular, this song and ‘Head Rolls Off’ hit me really hard. For me, this song is a perfect picture of someone crying out for help – and in some ways, that’s what I was doing when writing this record and the other songs surrounding it.
Grace Petrie – Black Tie | Listen via Spotify
I’d never even heard of Grace until she toured with Frank Turner and Jimmy Eat World – and I instantly fell in love with her upfront, down-to-earth commentary on politics and not conforming to gender norms. I’d not long come out, so to hear someone as an openly queer person sing a song like this (by herself on an academy venue stage no less) meant a lot to me – and I made a mental note to myself that I’d take these ideals and run with them in my own songwriting. That and seeing a fellow folk-punk on her way to the mainstream is amazing!
“You never will surrender to a narrow view of gender” and “the images that fucked ya, were a patriarchal structure” are undeniably my favourite lyrics from this song!
The Gaslight Anthem – Get Hurt | Listen via Spotify
The Gaslight Anthem have been one of my favourite bands since their first record ‘Sink Or Swim’. Brian Fallon instantly hooked me because here was a guy who in conventional terms isn’t a ‘good singer’ yet he was writing (and still does) these amazing songs straight from the heart and delivering them with maximum passion, and a husky Springsteen-esque voice mixed with driving guitars and huge drums… I digress.
This particular song is from their last record before their hiatus and is about Brian’s divorce, and for me, it’s the perfect breakup song. It was the first time I’d heard someone sing about the intricacies following a breakup that are so rarely talked about – and it actually came out right before my ex and I split. It gets me every time and it’s always a go-to when I need inspiration or just a good cry! It’s fair to say it directly inspired ‘Beginnings & Endings’, the closing track on my own record, which is about my own breakup. Get ready to get the tissues out!
You can stream Lana Wild’s new EP ‘Bare’ below: