Wild Flag

Wild Flag
Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	2010
Defunct	2014
Headquarters	Portland, Oregon and Washington, D.C., United States
Products	Indie rock music

Wild Flag was a four-member American indie rock supergroup with roots in Portland, Oregon and Washington, D.C. The ensemble featured Carrie Brownstein (vocals, guitar), Mary Timony (vocals, guitar), Rebecca Cole (keyboards, backing vocals), and Janet Weiss (drums, backing vocals). Each member had previously been part of influential bands such as Sleater-Kinney, Helium, and the Minders.

Musical influences

The members of Wild Flag brought a wealth of musical experience to the group. Carrie Brownstein was active in Excuse 17 from 1993 to 1995 before gaining prominence with Sleater-Kinney until their hiatus in 2006. Meanwhile, Janet Weiss contributed her drumming talents to both Quasi and Sleater-Kinney during the late 1990s and early 2000s, later collaborating on projects with Bright Eyes and Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks. Guitarist and vocalist Mary Timony had been involved with Autoclave and led the band Helium between 1992 and 1997 before joining forces with Brownstein in the side project the Spells. Transitioning from her role as drummer for the Minders, Rebecca Cole took on keyboards and backing vocals for Wild Flag.

History

The formation of Wild Flag was revealed by Carrie Brownstein on NPR's All Songs Considered blog in September 2010. She emphasized that the band's creation stemmed from natural chemistry rather than external pressure:

Shortly after, a Facebook page appeared featuring sparse information and a cryptic description: "What is the sound of an avalanche taking out a dolphin? What do you get when you cross a hamburger with a hot dog? The answer is: WILD FLAG."

Brownstein and Timony had previously worked together during the late 1990s in the Spells, releasing a single EP through K Records in 1999. Additional tracks recorded in 2000 remained unreleased until Brownstein made them available online in 2008.

Wild Flag’s first single, "Future Crimes" with "Glass Tambourine" as the B-side, was released on Record Store Day in 2011. Their follow-up single, "Romance," debuted in June of the same year. The band’s self-titled inaugural album was launched on September 13, 2011 via Merge Records.

In January 2012, Wild Flag made an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. By 2014, the group had become inactive; Brownstein attributed this to logistical difficulties outweighing the advantages: "We had a fun run… but all the logistics started seeming not quite worth it."

Touring

The band's touring schedule in 2010 concentrated on the West Coast, kicking off with a show in Olympia, Washington, followed by performances across California in November. They were also booked for South By Southwest in March 2011.

On January 20, 2011, Wild Flag announced via Facebook a limited-edition 7" record available exclusively at their March concerts before its wider release on Record Store Day 2011.

In March 2011, East Coast tour dates were revealed, including two New York City shows where they opened for Bright Eyes. Additionally, Wild Flag was invited by Les Savy Fav to participate in the ATP Nightmare Before Christmas festival held in December 2011 in Minehead, England.

Discography

Wild Flag (2011) reached No. 53 on US charts

Singles

"Future Crimes" / "Glass Tambourine" (2011)
"Romance" (2011)
"Boom" (2011)
"Electric Band" (2011)

Split Singles

Mission of Burma / Wild Flag – "What They Tell Me" / "Boom" (2012)

Music Videos

"Romance" (2011)
"Electric Band" (2011)

External links