Qulture Magazine

Words: @kennyross79

“Nothing But You” by Los Angeles Indie Rockers, Wavy Trees, hits like a late-night confession after a few too many pints—raw, honest, and just a little bit chaotic in the best way. It’s a tune about loving someone so much it hurts, but still managing to muck it up because your heart’s a bit too open to the world. Zack “Moondog” Smith, the frontman, poured so much of himself into the lyrics he nearly didn’t release it. It’s that personal. But after a road trip with Araya (a close friend of the band), she told him, “The world needs to hear this,” and that gave him the push to go ahead with it.

The band’s made up of a tight crew: Zack handles lead vocals, guitar, and piano; Jason Espirito is on guitar and also the mastermind behind the animated music video for the song (I love this!), which looks like something straight out of a PlayStation 1 game. Brian Duke holds down the low end on bass and sometimes guitar, and Jack Gallner keeps the whole thing moving through the drums. They’ve got this awesome creative energy where they just let things happen naturally—no forcing it, just pure vibes.

Musically, “Nothing But You” is a bit of a shift for them. It’s floaty and more emotional than their usual garage punk bangers (check the other tunes out on YouTube & Spotify. It’s got programmed drums (a first for them it seems), a cosmic bendy guitar riff, and a chorus that Zack had to scream out in his apartment (google it, it’s true!)—they were obviously trying not to wake the neighbours while recording their own album! That rawness gives it a real charm & feel to it. It makes me think of some 90’s movie sountracks. Their overall sound of this tune, in my mind sounds a bit like The Strokes crossed with The Hives! But still on the grungier side.

Fun Fact – They played it live at the Troubadour in Hollywood and folk were well into it judging by the reviews. You can tell it’s one of those songs that hits different when you hear it in person—like it’s meant to be felt as much as heard. All in all, it’s a cracking tune that shows Wavy Trees aren’t afraid to get a bit vulnerable and try something new, while still keeping that wild, heartfelt spirit that makes them who they are.