wilt

In two years wilt has gone from playing in garages to being one of the buzziest bands in the emerging Los Angeles alt rock scene. With over 6 million streams and 110 million views on Instagram and TikTok to date, the self described bedroom-rockers, vocalist Chelsea Rifkin; guitarists Aaron Liebman and Andrew Vance; and drummer Dan Bermudez, have built a fanbase so devoted, they can no longer self-deprecatingly call themselves “your favorite band you’ve never heard of.” Subsequent singles and their self titled debut EP wilt released April 5, 2024 only fueled the fire, earning numerous placements on editorial playlists, including Spotify’s New Music Friday, All New Indie, Today’s Indie Rock, New Noise, and a #1 spot on Fresh Finds; spins on SiriusXM and influential radio stations KROQ, KCRW and KCSN. But what makes wilt so special? It starts with Rifkin, whose vocal prowess and captivating stage presence have drawn comparisons to Hayley Williams, Debbie Harry, and Joan Jett. Add to that a repertoire of hook-laden, anthemic and introspective tracks all recorded, produced, mixed and mastered start to finish in Liebman and Vance’s home studios. The results defy categorization, while simultaneously recalling such influences as Nirvana, Radiohead, Slow Pulp, Hole and Weezer. Rifkin has made no secret of her love for ’90s grunge, and credits Hole for inspiring wilt’s moniker. “In the song ‘Celebrity Skin,’ which we love to cover, there’s the lyric ‘wilted and faded somewhere in Hollywood,’” she explains. “When we were coming up with band names none of them were hitting. And then I was like, ‘wilt.”’ Adds Vance: “I knew when I heard Chelsea say ‘wilt’ that it was the band name for sure.” Their followers, known as “wilters”, would agree. “The response from our fans has been mind-blowing,” says Vance. “The amount of attention we’ve been getting is really all we could have asked for.” Having cut their teeth opening for Britain’s massively popular Lovejoy on multiple sold-out tour dates in 2023; 2024 was an accomplished year for the band with their debut EP, a US tour with Remo Drive, and appearances at SXSW and Shabang Festival. For more information and interview requests, email wilt@wiltband.com. @wiltband on all socials. The story of wilt begins in a Grant Park apartment, where singer Chelsea Rifkin moved after getting kicked out of the dorms just two weeks into her first semester at Columbia College Chicago. Facing the slow death of her father to cancer back home and failing her online classes, the budding vocalist and songwriter was drawn equally to the abrasive sounds of the nineties alternative the spaced-out melancholy of 2010’s indie. Mental health crises lead to hospitalizations lead to dropping out of school entirely, drawing Rifkin back to her native Los Angeles with a lost year and a lost parent. As she lived at home and waited tables, Rifkin began to romanticize her time in Chicago and conceptualize a band as an outlet for her angst-ridden song. Enter Aaron Liebman, a budding music producer and transplant from Maryland with a penchant for emo music, Andrew Vance a shoegaze obsessed guitarist, and Daniel Bermudez - a drummer from Rifkin’s own backyard with an equal love for folk music and The Smashing Pumpkins. The four were unlikely bandmates, with as many differences as commonalities, but unified by the vision and vocal prowess of Rifkin they became fast friends and collaborators. Lightning in a bottle moments on TikTok and Reels raised the stakes for wilt in the fall of ‘22, as the band earned millions of views and tens of thousands of followers overnight just weeks after releasing their first song - the grunge-inspired anthem gwen - without so much as playing a show. Their second single, nothing special, was quickly noted by the industry, landing placements on multiple Spotify editorial playlists including New Music Friday, and airplay on the legendary LA radio station KROQ. wilt’s first touring opportunity came in the Spring of 2023, with a short-lasted but life-changing support slot on a leg of British indie-rockers Lovejoy’s first US tour. The band capped off a first-year beyond their wildest imaginations with a sold-out headline show at Moroccan Lounge, before turning their focus from releasing singles towards an EP. wilt, their self-titled debut effort, distilled wilt’s sound AKSBDKJASDKJASBD. Supported by festival appearances at SXSW and Shabang, as well as a full US tour supporting Remo Drive. —- In two years since their first show, 'wilt' has become one of LA's buzziest rock bands with over 10 million streams and 100 million views on Instagram and TikTok. With an ever-growing following, their debut single 'gwen' was been met with great enthusiasm, rapidly reaching a global audience through the band's viral content. wilt's follow-up singles in 2023 and self-titled EP wilt in 2024 accelerated their vertical trajectory, having earned the band numerous coveted placements on Spotify Editorial playlists including New Music Friday, Fresh Finds, and All New Rock. The outfit counts Hole, Radiohead, Weezer, Alex G, and Mannequin Pussy among its influences, and dynamic frontwoman Chelsea's vocal prowess and vibe have drawn comparisons to Hayley Williams, Debbie Harry, and Joan Jett. Having cut their teeth opening for British indie-rockers Lovejoy, emo legends Remo Drive, and Latin-grammy nominees The Warning on packed tour dates across the US in 2023 and 2024, the coming year holds great promise for wilt, with a debut album and further touring in the works.