Today we’d like to introduce you to Wilson Getchell.
Hi Wilson, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I moved to Raleigh, NC, in 2016 after having bounced around a lot over the preceding decade. At that time, I had a substantial backlog of songs I’d written and was hoping to start a band to flesh out and perform the material. By early 2017 I had recruited a couple local musicians I had met at shows and open mics in the area and we started performing locally. After several early name changes, the group adopted the moniker Thirsty Curses and released its debut HOLY MOLY in February 2017, which featured the title track single, as well as the single “Neon Sign”.
Following the release of Holy Moly, we started doing sporadic touring focused primarily on the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions, going as far south as Charleston, SC, and as far north as Philadelphia, PA. During that time, we were also continuing to develop new material and returned to the studio in February 2018 to record the band’s second album, ALL SHOOK UP. During this period the band’s lineup was changing with some frequency, but the band managed to soldier on, continuing to perform locally and regionally following the release of our second album.
ALL SHOOK UP ultimately got the attention of the independent record label Spectra Music Group, which signed us in May 2019 to a one-album deal. In November 2019, we released our Spectra label debut, THIRSTY CURSES, and continued performing throughout the region.
We were in the midst of touring and promoting the new album when COVID-19 hit in early 2020. We played the Jammin’ Java in Northern Virginia on February 29, 2020, and a couple weeks later the whole world shut down. However, we managed to stay somewhat active during that period, as we turned our focus to making music videos for several of the songs off of the THIRSTY CURSES album. Ultimately, we made videos for “Bruises On Your Shoulders”, “Smash/Hit”, and “Racing Through the Daze”, which did a lot to help continue to reach new audiences in lieu of touring/live performances. The video for “Bruises On Your Shoulders” was later awarded Best in Festival at the Broadcast Education Association’s 2021 Film Festival and will be screened at the 2021 Richmond International Film Fest.
Once the world started opening up again in early 2021, we played several local shows and did a fair amount of touring that took us to Charleston, SC; Savannah, GA; Birmingham, AL; Spartanburg, SC; Boone, NC; Charlotte, NC; Richmond, VA; Williamsburg, VA; Washington, DC, and Annapolis, MD. We are also currently wrapping up recording our fourth album, which we are hoping to release in early 2022. We’ve still got numerous shows scheduled through October after which we’ll take a break from touring until spring 2022.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It has definitely not been smooth. Playing in an independent rock ‘n roll band has its fair share of demoralizing moments, setbacks, etc. For the first couple of years, it was difficult to even keep a consistent band lineup together. Since the band’s formation, we’ve performed with five different drummers, four different bass players, and three different lead guitarists. It can be really challenging to keep everyone on the same page and to manage often wildly different personalities in situations brought about by DIY touring and the resulting sleep deprivation, low pay, and alcohol consumption. Fortunately, I think that now we’ve got a super talented, committed lineup that is hopefully set for the long haul. Like many bands, we’ve also played to empty bars hours away from home; we’ve broken down in the middle of nowhere at 4 a.m.; we’ve had fights in venue parking lots. But it does feel like a lot of those struggles are receding further and further into the rearview mirror these days. Fortunately, our fanbase and reach seem to be consistently growing. Hopefully, that’s a trend that continues.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I write songs. I’ve been writing songs since middle school. While I play a bunch of different instruments (guitar, piano, sing, drums, ukulele, banjo, etc.), I’ve always considered songwriting to be my “instrument” or voice in the music realm. I think, or hope, that one unique thing I do in my songwriting is address deeper themes regarding the human experience in a way that is both thought-provoking but also conducive to a good time. Someone once wrote an article that described my songwriting as balancing exuberance and despair. I think that’s about right.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc.?
There’s probably too many to name, but I will say that I definitely draw a lot of inspiration from history. History definitely informs my understanding of the present and what to expect out of life.
Contact Info:
- Email: thirstycurses@gmail.com
- Website: www.thirstycurses.com
- Instagram: isntagram.com/thirsty_curses
- Facebook: facebook.com/thirstycurses
- Twitter: twitter.com/thirstycurses
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsf0rIc92rr4AI3fZaeYB0A
Image Credits
Clayton Herring
Roth Gray
