Wild Pink Presents New Single/Video, "500 Is The New 250" | 'Still Coming Down' Out August 21 via Fire Talk
Wild Pink — the cherished indie band fronted by John Ross — unveils their new single/video, “500 Is The New 250,” from their highly anticipated new album, Still Coming Down, out August 21 via Fire Talk. There’s a novelistic impression to the songs of Wild Pink, where characters peer over the edge of potential futures, past mistakes and paths not taken. “500 Is The New 250” bounces between scuzzy guitars and softer, reflective moments that poke fun at the listlessness of consumerism, coping through detachment while finding the punchline of it all. “Took the cyber truck // to my favorite bar ‘Hard Luck’ // to bet on my phone and drink alone” Ross intones atop sparse production helmed by Alex Farrar, “The Steelers are in Baltimore tonight // I got no dog though, I got no fight.”
“500 Is The New 250” is presented alongside Still Coming Down’s third visual chapter. Helmed by Wes Sterrs, the “500 Is The New 250” video follows a loose conspiratorial plot which completes and complexifies Still Coming Down’s warped and encyclopedic view of America. “500 Is The New 250” continues along a blazing trail of singles — the “beatific, harmonic-laced” (Stereogum) “Box Store” and lead single “Round Of Applause At The End Of The World” — which preview Still Coming Down’s cinematic, sepia-toned flipbook.
In support of Still Coming Down, Wild Pink will embark on a world tour, including stops across Europe, the United Kingdom, as well as a slew of performances throughout the United States. A full list of tour dates are below, and tickets are on sale now.
Watch Wild Pink's "500 Is The New 250" Chapter III
Wild Pink have been a staple of the indie rock scene for the better part of a decade, and it’s on their sixth album — Still Coming Down — that John Ross cements the voice he’s been steadily honing over the years. Propelled by the witty and ravenous wisdom of 2024’s Dulling the Horns, Ross’ poetic form has only gained traction, as jocular, heartfelt stories pour with a clever and distinctive ease. NFL bros cruise alongside big guys in grocery stores with even bigger tattoos: ghost stories and references from the cinematic haze of movies like Heat, Moneyball and The Town buzz in the background while Ross also points to Waterworld and The Perfect Storm — heroes who wander, looking for answers at the end of the world.
Still Coming Down was recorded in one week in Asheville, NC at the renowned Drop of Sun studios with producer and engineer Alex Farrar (Bnny, Squirrel Flower, Samia). Vocal takes were done in two to three bursts, marking a less laborious process than previous records. “There was not a ton of overthinking,” Ross says. Ross looked back to the grunge bands he was obsessed with as a teen, and found that it sparked a deeper presence with his own voice, both in lyrics and performance. He endeavoured to create an album that is as fun to play live as it is for the audience to witness, harkening back to the enthusiasm and motivation he felt growing up. “Strangely, I feel like I've found my voice on this record,” he says.
Still Coming Down is a storied expedition that welcomes in the drifters and the kids kicking up dust; the brokenhearted and the cursed; the ones looking for an answer and the ones who simply couldn’t care less. Ross gives movement to the characters in our heads, the faces we see every few years and the ones who pass us by. It’s proper rock meant to be played loud, with your hand out the car window, riding the air as you bound down some highway in the early hours. Forming soon-to-be-classics that soak in their ability to impact without unnecessary frills, Still Coming Down is about the very nature of songwriting and instinct, learning to trust the process and staying open to the lessons you might learn along the way.
Wild Pink Tour Dates
- Thu. Jul. 23 - Philadelphia, PA @ Spruce Street Harbor Park
- Tue. Sep. 1 - Brussels, BE @ Botanique
- Wed. Sep. 2 - Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
- Thu. Sep. 3 - Brighton, UK @ Komedia
- Fri. Sep. 4 - Wiltshire, UK @ End of the Road Festival
- Sat. Sep. 5 - Leeds, UK @ Headrow House
- Sun. Sep. 6 - Manchester, UK @ Gullivers
- Mon. Sep. 7 - London, UK @ The Lexington
- Wed. Sep. 9 - Paris, FR @ Supersonic
- Thu. Sep. 10 - Zurich, CH @ Bogen F
- Sat. Sep. 12 - Parma, IT @ What Goes On Festival
- Fri. Oct. 9 - Colorado Springs, CO @ Lulu’s Downtown
- Sat. Oct. 10 - Denver, CO @ Lost Lake
- Tue. Oct. 13 - Santa Fe, NM @ Marigold
- Wed. Oct. 14 - Mesa, AZ @ Nile Theater *
- Thu. Oct. 15 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Bellwether *
- Fri. Oct. 16 - Del Mar, CA @ The Sound *
- Sat. Oct. 17 - Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst *
- Sun. Oct. 18 - San Luis Obispo, CA @ Fremont Theater *
- Tue. Oct. 20 - San Francisco, CA @ The Castro *
- Wed. Oct. 21 - Eugene, OR @ McDonald Theatre *
- Thu. Oct. 22 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox *
- Fri. Oct. 23 - Missoula, MT @ The Wilma *
- Sat. Oct. 24 - Boseman, MT @ The Elm *
- Mon. Oct. 26 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave *
- Wed. Oct. 28 - Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre *
- Thu. Oct. 29 - Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom *
- Fri. Oct. 30 - Indianapolis, IN @ Old National Centre - Egyptian Room *
- Sat. Oct. 31 - Lexington, KY @ The Burl Outdoors *
- Sun. Nov. 1 - Bloomington, IL @ The Castle Theatre *
- Mon. Nov. 2 - Oklahoma City, OK @ The Jones Assembly *
- Wed. Dec. 2 - Medford, MA @ Deep Cuts
- Thu. Dec. 3 - Montreal, QC @ La Sotterenea
- Fri. Dec. 4 - Toronto, ON @ The Garrison
- Sat. Dec. 5 - Detroit, MI @ Lager House
- Mon. Dec. 7 - Nashville, TN @ The End
- Wed. Dec. 9 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Bottlerocket Social Club
- Thu. Dec. 10 - Washington, DC @ Songbyrd Music Hall
- Sat. Dec. 12 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
* supporting Shaky Graves
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