The Wheel Workers
The Wheel Workers | "White Lies" / "All My Fault" | S/R | Nov. 4th, 2016
Bio:
“White Lies/All My Fault,” the new split single from Houston-based band The Wheel Workers—premiering exclusively at The A.V. Club—may be a pair of songs aimed straight at Donald Trump and the 2016 election, but musically and lyrically, it extends far beyond the political heat of the moment."
"Generations of artists seeking to voice dissatisfaction with the status quo laid out a heritage of sociopolitical consciousness, and when they supercharge those nuances with the ferocity of rock n’ roll, it usually comes across with sheer brilliance. The Wheel Workers’ new album, Citizens, is just that — brilliant." - SLUG
Houston-based five-piece band, The Wheel Workers, makes politically conscious pop songs with hooks in the tradition of the catchiest folk and punk protest songs of Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, The Clash, and Bad Religion.
The group has previously been nominated as Houston’s “Best Pop Act” in the yearly Houston Press Music Awards, with the band's leader and lyricist, Steven Higginbotham receiving a nomination for himself as “Best Songwriter.” The Houston Chronicle called the debut album by The Wheel Workers “one of the best albums made in Houston" in the year of its release.
For a politically-minded pop band, the 2016 Presidential election has provided a lot of grist for the mill. As such, The Wheel Workers present the two-song single "White Lies" / "All My Fault" as a stinging indictment of the Republican candidate, and the culture that created him.
"I am horrified by the rise of what he represents," Higginbotham says. "To me, we are seeing the rise of a white nationalist movement into the mainstream. He represents a leap into the darkness of cult of personality politics that is antithetical to a democratic society. The fact that he stands a chance in this election is the most disturbing development in American politics in a very long time."
As for the new pair of tunes arriving just in time to vote, Higginbotham explains, "'White Lies' addresses the insecurities and ignorance of the white population that makes them especially vulnerable to the hateful appeal of the greatest liar in the history of American politics, and 'All My Fault' imagines him in first-person, as a Joker figure that is disgusted by a world that would take his vulgar, self-promoting candidacy seriously."
Of course, while both of these songs express significant anger and frustration, they're also catchy as can be, all the better to get the message across. It's this combination that has previously earned The Wheel Workers praise, and these new songs conjure an approximation of what Freedom of Choice-era Devo and Disintegration-era The Cure might sound like if either wrote overtly political tunes.
In addition to the release of the "White Lies" / "All My Fault"single, The Wheel Workers are continuing to write and record the follow-up to the band's critically acclaimed 2015 album CITIZENS, with an eye on a release in 2017.
News:
Press Quotes:
“Sincerely progressive and catchy as hell.”
“Sociopolitical consciousness with a memorable hook.”
“New Wave synth stylings meet sharp lyrics.”
“The new split single from Houston-based band The Wheel Workers may be a pair of songs aimed straight at Donald Trump and the 2016 election, but musically and lyrically, it extends far beyond the political heat of the moment.”
“Painfully catchy.”
“Houston’s brightest hope. Damn. Seriously righteous.”
The Wheel Workers (L-R): Kevin Radomski, Craig Wilkins, Erin Rodgers, Josh Rodriguez, Steven Higginbotham. Photo credit: Allison McPhail. Click for hi-res.
The Wheel Workers (L-R): Kevin Radomski, Steven Higginbotham, Josh Rodriguez, Erin Rodgers, Craig Wilkins. Photo credit: Allison McPhail. Click for hi-res.
"White Lies" / "All My Fault" cover art. Click for hi-res.