With the return of live music, follows a resurgence of new releases! Wax Future have been working tirelessly behind the scenes on their latest collaborative project, BeesWax. Jesse Miller (Lotus) has tagged in with the dynamic duo to create their album Royal Jelly, released May 14th on all platforms!
Since our first encounter in 2017, Keith and Connor of Wax Future have elevated their sound while retaining the roots-inspired strings and sampling. Royal Jelly is another chapter in the sonic journey they continue to navigate. Jesse Miller brings in yet more influence from times passed. Together, the team create a timeless project. Following the BeesWax EP, the collaboration has begun to flow in a seamless form.
Royal Jelly begins to tell a full story of the light they hope to shine through. The sounds of “Certified Juice,” title track “Royal Jelly,” and “Back to Class” get the feet and body moving, while “Out of the Darkness” sings to the heart and soul of the listener. The eleven-track album matched with a vinyl release available on Bandcamp! To follow through with the BeesWax theme, the guys worked with Plann Bee Farm out of Oley, PA to offer their own organic honey. For a few lucky fans, a few signed test pressings were up for grabs as well!
Inspiration and Ingenuity
“From a vocal perspective I pulled from a few different influences, including artists like the Meters, Curtis Harding, Michael Kiwanuka, and Prince for lead vocals. For background vocals, I have been super inspired as of late by Gregory Alan Isacoff’s latest record, and the recordings of these huge layered background vocals. From a production standpoint, while it was unspoken, I think Jesse and I were aligned on a classic sound set, utilizing iconic synths and sounds like rhodes and wurlitzer electric piano, Hammond style organ and synths including the Juno-106, Octave Cat, and Arp-2600.” – Connor Hansell
“Inspiration came from a lot of different eras and genres. We used a tape reel-to-reel recorder to track the initial drum parts that became the breaks we used as foundations for many of the tracks. So that sound goes back to 70s funk and soul records, but edited the way a late-90s vinyl-digging/sample artist like DJ Shadow might do it…
“…There are some techno and acid house influences in the way we used some synth parts. There is also influence from guitar driven instrumental acts like Explosions in the Sky and Tycho in how we wrote stacked melodic bass and guitar parts. I think it all adds up to something that is unique to BeesWax and doesn’t neatly fall under any genre heading.” – Jesse Miller
Out of the darkness comes the light
With vaccinations accelerating across the US, venues are beginning to announce a flurry of events across the board. Show flyers are beginning to flood social media feeds. With that, the boys have also jumped on board. The team chose Ardmore Music Hall in Pennsylvania for their debut of the album! BeesWax will only be performing once more this year on Saturday, out in Denver, CO. Check out one of Wax Future’s early performances in Ardmore below.
How did it feel to perform in front of a crowd again in Ardmore?
Jesse: “It was great. We all love music deeply. Writing and recording is fulfilling in one way, but bringing that music alive on stage and sharing the energy with an in-person crowd of any size can’t be matched.”
For the Colorado stop, the boys selected Knew Conscious in Denver. The rising venue will provide a space for those who have joined their membership! The Collective are providing an intimate experience in a unique context with a low capacity and focus on community. Membership includes exclusive access to the venue, as well as a few perks inside!
BeesWax @ Knew Conscious Denver 6/05/2021
Sign up here | Purchase tickets
If you’re not able to make it out Saturday, you’ll have ample opportunity catch Wax Future on the circuit this year. You can also find Jesse Miller playing with Lotus, Octave Cat, and as his solo project Beard-o-Bees!
Featured image via artist.