The band has world tour dates lined up with The Who and Pearl Jam

On the latest episode of the Talk This Way Podcast, we caught up with Sydney Rae White of The Wild Things. The British alt-rock outfit recently finished up their sophomore LP Afterglow. In this episode, White talks about touring with The Who, playing the first U.S. shows of their career, upcoming new music, and more.

Stream the entire conversation above.

Next week, The Wild Things will travel across the Atlantic for the first time as band. The group is set to open for The Who at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, May 26. There’s perhaps no show more epic to be your first on American soil than that.

In addition to performing live in support of the iconic band, The Wild Things also worked with The Who’s Pete Townshend on their new album.

“We recorded it [“Only Attraction”] with Pete Townshend at one of his studios. “We recorded a number of songs with him, and he produced them, and played and sang on a couple of them. Obviously, the man is a genius. What an incredible experience.”

The Wild Things
The Wild Things [© Marcus Maschwitz]

“It was unbelievable,” White recalls of the recording sessions with Townshend. “I remember driving to the studio because we stayed there, we were there for a few days it’s sort of in the middle of the countryside. It was almost fairytale-like because you drive into wherever his studio is and there’s Bambis [deer] jumping over fences and the sun was shining. It was so surreal.”

Townshend guided the band in both songwriting and production.

“When he comes in, he’s such a presence,” she elated.

The Wild Things recently completed their new studio album Afterglow. While the album is done, the band has not yet confirmed a release date. However, fans can stream the group’s new single “Only Attraction” now on Spotify and Apple Music.

“It’s something special,” White says of the record. “It’s not something we’ve done before in terms of songwriting or anything else, really. I don’t know if you’d call it a ‘concept album,’ but it’s as story that unfolds over one night in a fictional town called Valentine. It’s about this sort-of phenomenon called ‘The Afterglow.'”

In addition to their performance with The Who at Madison Square Garden, The Wild Things are set to headline the Mercury Lounge in New York on Friday, May 27. Tickets are on sale now HERE. The group will be joined by special guests Razor Braids and Social Creatures.