(Left to right) Andrew Vaggalis, Chloe Gose and Noah Gose make up the folk-Americana group The Wildwoods. Credit: S&J Photography
Hailing from the great plains of Lincoln, Nebraska, The Wildwoods are set to perform at Natalie’s Grandview Wednesday at 8:30 p.m.
The Wildwoods comprises guitarist Noah Gose, violinist Chloe Gose and bassist Andrew Vaggalis, Chloe Gose said in an email. A folk-Americana trio, the band got its start when Noah Gose and Chloe Gose — who are now married — met as high school students in 2012.
“At the time, we were both 14 and primarily performed as a trio with my older brother, whose name is coincidentally also Noah,” Chloe Gose said. “We performed together all throughout high school, gigging anywhere that was willing to let us perform. Over the years, our band lineup has changed and evolved, and our bass player Andy — who we met in [high school] — joined us full time last fall.”
The Wildwoods primarily draws inspiration from its members’ rich experiences growing up in Nebraska, Chloe Gose said. The group has a wide range of influences, including folk duo Watchhouse, indie-rock band The Decemberists, folk singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell and indie-rock/folk artist Gregory Alan Isakov, she said.
Noah and Chloe Gose learned the importance of musical collaboration from starting their first band — Rabbits with Gas Masks — through a hometown program called Academy of Rock. Rabbits with Gas Masks’ main genres were hard rock and pop, but Chloe Gose said she and Noah decided to leave the program after a few months to pursue acoustic music on their own.
“We grew up listening to great folk music,” Chloe Gose said. “We had a yearning to create music just like that. Plus I played the violin, and my brother and Noah both played acoustic guitar. It just seemed more fitting for us overall.”
With 19 stops on its fall tour — Columbus being the 15th — The Wildwoods plan to continue touring next spring after they take a break to pen new songs and release more music in the winter, Chloe Gose said.
“We love touring, but we have put in a lot of miles this year just from being on the road,” Chloe Gose said. “We plan to start touring heavily again next spring and summer, and hopefully make our debut to several states and regions we have never been to, specifically the Pacific Northwest and California.”
The Wildwoods’ live shows are ultimately defined by their tranquil atmospheres, Noah Gose said in an email.
“I would say [our shows are] very calming, soothing, harmony focused and even comedic,” Noah Gose said. “We like to tell plenty of jokes and stories to give the audience some insight into the inspirations behind our songs. We think it’s very important not to take ourselves too seriously, so we like to add some lighthearted fun in between all of the necessary serious moments during our shows.”
Noah Gose said before the trio goes on stage, they typically take a bit of alone time to wind down and practice their songs — a “calm before the storm,” he said.
“We all three lean more on the introverted side,” Noah Gose said. “We do love warming up together and running through some of our favorite tunes or even working through trouble sections that we each need practice on.”
Chloe Gose said since The Wildwoods’ formation, the band’s members have been able to fully support themselves by making music together.
This year especially, The Wildwoods has focused on promoting itself through posting video content on social media, which has earned the band around 157,000 Instagram followers and 39,000 Facebook friends.
“The rise in our social media following has been crucial in regards to drumming up a national audience, and even to a modest degree, an international following,” Chloe Gose said. “It allows us to play halfway across the country and perform to [sold-out] rooms.”
Tickets to see The Wildwoods at Natalie’s Grandview can be purchased here, and additional information about The Wildwoods is available on its website.
