Q&A: "We're Indigenous and we're country:" Meet sibling duo Brothers Wilde
CBC
"I couldn't imagine doing this on my own," says Nolan Wilde, lead singer of Brothers Wilde. For the last five years, he's been performing with his brother, guitarist Ethan Wilde, with an April show at Toronto's legendary Horseshoe Tavern.
The siblings from Kettle and Stony Point First Nation, northeast of Sarnia, Ont., are performing at Revelree Music Festival in Sarnia on Saturday. The lineup that includes The Arkells, Lights and Glorious Sons.
Afternoon Drive's Allison Devereaux spoke with Brothers Wilde ahead of the show.
The following has been edited for length and clarity.
Allison Devereaux: Nolan, this story starts with you, as lead singer. When did you realize you have a gift?
Nolan Wilde: I realized it was more of a passion than a gift early on, about the age of 10 to 12, singing in the car with my aunts as we go for car rides. Just getting small comments from my family members saying, "Oh, you have a nice voice."
AD: Did you wonder at times if maybe they were just trying to be encouraging out of the goodness of their hearts?
NW: Even today I still think, from my family, they're just being kind out of the kindness of their own heart sometimes. (laughing)
But in high school (Sarnia Collegiate Institute and Technical School), that was singing in front of people who had no background on who I was. It wasn't family members, it wasn't friends. It was just to the public.
The high school put on a performance called The Review, it was singing Head Over Boots by John Pardi. It was a very stripped-down song, just me and an acoustic guitar. It was really quiet and I was nervous. I was definitely shaking in my boots.
But as soon as the song ended and I sang the last line, just this uproar of about 300 people. I felt this sense of belonging that I'd never felt before.
AD: Ethan, Nolan is your older brother, and you were actually in the crowd that day?
Ethan Wilde: I was in the crowd for sure. And I get what he says, that roar. There was a real roar and I wanted to be a part of that. I just looked around, at 300 people, just looking at my older brother and I'm like, "Man, that's so cool. I want to do that with him." And I learned how to play guitar.
AD: What are the stories you tell in your songs?
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