Robert Ellis and Wild Child
April 3 at 8
$16
Warehouse Live
813 Saint Emanuel St.
713-225-5483
warehouselive.com 

Indie-folk has been on the rise in recent years, headed by pioneers such as The Decemberists, Iron & Wine, and Fleet Foxes. The genre is birthing more artists and bands every day, making it difficult to find the true gems, but up-and-coming Texas group Wild Child, opening tonight for Robert Ellis at Warehouse Live, is crooning their way into hearts and making a name for themselves in the indie-folk world. 

The Austin-based band includes the usual necessities of any successful indie-folk group—a banjo, beards, ukulele, and bare feet—but secret weapons like a cello, war paint, and sweet melodies set them apart from the rest. Led by Kelsey Wilson on vocals and violin, and Houston native Alexander Beggins on vocals and ukulele, Wild Child’s energy is incomparable, which is odd considering that the majority of their lyrics are heartbreak. When typically thinking of a break-up song, the words sappy and sad come to mind, followed by the action of changing the radio station, but Wild Child puts their own spin on the trusty genre by making it contagiously upbeat and hopeful.

With two albums under their belt, Pillow Talk (2011) and The Runaround (2013), the band has gone from a self-released album to one produced by a Grammy-nominated artist (Ben Kweller). Although Wild Child has grown over the years, they have managed to remain grounded and true to their original sound, and have an undeniably bright future ahead. This is the next indie-folk band to watch.