Wexford On the Making Of “Change Your Mind”
What was the creative process like for this particular song?
Many of our songs for this upcoming album were written before the full band came together. Andy and Dave wrote melodies, riffs, and lyrics on their own. They then arrived with that basic framework. From there, the band added other parts and made overall song structure decisions. It all came together quite quickly and naturally.
How did you work with the producer or engineers to bring your vision for "Change Your Mind" to life?
Our producer is our bass player, Shawn Daley. He runs the Mohawk Studio in Sandusky Ohio. So, regarding the vision, he was very aware of what sound we had in mind. “Change Your Mind” has been an opener on our live set since Shawn and Jeff joined the band just over a year ago. It was one of the first tracks we delved into and finished up for this upcoming album.
Are there any future plans or projects related to this song that you're excited about?
“Change Your Mind” is the opening track and first single from our upcoming album ‘Silent Key.’ It is a 13-track full-length album. We can’t tell you how excited we are to release it this June. The variety and depth of the album should provide something for just about everyone. It will be a journey.
Can you tell us more about you as a band?
Wexford began playing and writing music 3-4 years ago. Andy Kohlmann and Dave Mueller are the original members and they traded duties between drums, guitar, and vocals. They would swap back and forth a few times each set. We recorded our old album ‘OK Suburbia’ like that. Just over a year ago the original bass player moved away and left the band. Shawn Daley, in addition to being an amazing bass player, runs a local studio and music venue. He had seen us play a live show and joined the lineup. In early 2023, we decided that we needed a full-time drummer, and Jeff Vandebussche stepped in and has made a huge difference in shaping Wexford’s sound.
We all have varied musical backgrounds and influences. Jeff grew up playing death metal. His drumming adds and nice hard edge to our sound. Andy cut his teeth in the grunge era. Dave was more influenced by punk, hardcore, and post-hardcore music. Shawn has the most varied musical background. He has been a member of various projects; punk, alternative, he was in a Violent Femmes cover band, and even toured the US in a country act for some time.
What do you enjoy most about performing live and connecting with your audience?
It is safe to say that we have always been a live band first and a recording band second. The challenge for us of recording and producing a song has been to capture the energy and fullness of sound conveyed live. This song and the rest of the tracks from our upcoming full-length ‘Silent Key’ have approximated that much better compared to our previous recordings. People can only truly understand who we are by taking in a live performance.
There is nothing better than playing a great live set and receiving immediate feedback from the audience. Connecting with someone after a show who has seen you for the first time and loved it is an amazing feeling.
