Upper Wilds

After his noisy electronic solo projects following the dissolution of Parts & Labor, Dan Friel felt drawn back to guitar and assembled Upper Wilds, a comparably raucous trio. The lineup featured Friel handling guitar and vocals alongside Zach Lehrhoff of Ex Models on bass and vocals, with Aaron Siegel supplying drums; their first album appeared on Thrill Jockey in 2017. Guitar Module 2017 drenched its sound in distortion, fuzz, and cosmic allusions while merging overpowering volume and submerged melodies that fused traits from Friel’s prior band and his individual recordings. In 2018 the band followed with a second release that leaned further into planetary themes. Jeff Ottenbacher took Siegel’s place behind the kit for Mars, an album that depicted the settlement of the red planet through its characteristically loud yet persistently tuneful approach. Venus arrived in 2021 and Jupiter in 2023.