Wastelander is the moniker of solo project by Cooper Formant, a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in Portland, Maine. He was formerly a member of NYC’s post-punk revivalists, The Fluids. But that’s where the similarities end. Wastelander has a bedroom, dream pop feel that blew us away ten seconds into his first single, “Get it Right.” It’s an adorable way to introduce one’s music to the world, since the song itself, is about the songwriting process.
“I was sitting on my couch trying to get a particularly stubborn song together to prepare for the studio”, says Formant. “I couldn’t find the right lyrics for this one bit and was extremely frustrated because I was approaching the deadline. I felt at that moment that this shouldn’t be so hard if I were any good at making songs, and I imagined what it would be like if it were to come easy. Then something happened.
“At that moment, I said aloud, ‘Wouldn’t it be weird if I could get it right?’ And then I heard “Get it Right” in its entirety in my mind’s ear.”
Teaming up with bassist and co-producer Paul Defiglia, known for his work with The Avett Brothers and Langhorne Slim, Cooper recorded the foundation of Wastelander’s debut entirely on vintage tape equipment at East Nashville’s Daylight Studio. Featuring an A-List cast of Nashville talent, including musicians Erin Rae, Jo Schornikow (Phosphorescent), Spencer Cullum Jr. (Coin Collection, Miranda Lambert), Larissa Maestro (Hozier, Allison Russell), and Dom Billet (Courtney Marie Andrews, Andrew Combs), “Get it Right” is three minutes of flawlessly crafted dream pop.
You got it right this time, Wasterlander. And it’s fire! “Get it Right” is out now. his full length debut, What is Left of Me releases the 29th of September.
