Bonnaroo 2022 Artist Spotlight: Wallows

Like we’ve been doing for many years now, we’re making it our mission to help you get acquainted with many of our favorite acts from Bonnaroo‘s 2022 lineup. And, for the first time in three years, we finally feel confident that there definitely will be a Bonnaroo this year, after a postponement then cancelation in 2020 due to Covid, and an unfortunate rainout of last year’s would-be September event. Returned to its traditional timeframe of June 16-19, this marks Bonnaroo’s 21st summer and 19th installment, and features a largely new lineup for the festival’s much-anticipated return!

As we dig through the entire schedule, we’ll highlight a spread of performers spanning across genres and stages, big and small, new and old, to bring you some of the most interesting, lesser-known, and most highly-recommended among this year’s crop of artists. And as our time at ‘Roo approaches, we’ll also be bringing you some special features and full list-style daily lineup guides, to help you plan your weekend ahead of the fest. While these previews won’t span every artist, and might omit some more obvious must-see acts, we hope they’ll serve as a way to help you navigate Bonnaroo’s gargantuan lineup, and to make the most of your busy weekend on the farm!

Grab your tickets right here if you haven’t already, and read on for our Bonnaroo Artist Spotlight!

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While you might recognize Wallows‘ famous frontman Dylan Minnette from his numerous acting credits (13 Reasons Why, Scream, Don’t Breathe), or fellow vocalist and guitarist Braeden Lemasters for his acting pursuits as well, don’t write them off as another actors’ vanity project; the LA alt rock trio are the real deal! Though they didn’t officially make their debut as Wallows until early 2017, the roots of the band trace back to 2011, when the group (rounded out by drummer Cole Preston) were all teens, and started making music together under a variety of early names after meeting in the GigMasterz program at Keyboard Galleria Music Center in Southern California. They released an independent EP in 2014 under prior name The Narwhals, but the group was a little slow-going at first while Minnette and Lemasters balanced their burgeoning acting careers, eventually settling on a name and honing their ’80s influenced post-punk, synth-y, and bedroom pop inspired alt rock sound across a string of early singles, landing a deal at Atlantic ahead of debut EP Spring in 2018. The combo of Minnette’s growing star power and viral single “Are You Bored Yet?” with Clairo helped really blow Wallows up by 2019’s debut album, Nothing Happens, and though the pandemic would slow their tour momentum a year later, the rise of TikTok would see the band’s songs reach a new audience, and give them time to swiftly craft a new EP, Remote, in 2020. Helmed by Grammy-winning producer Ariel Rechtshaid, Wallows returned with a sophomore album, Tell Me That It’s Over, earlier this year, showcasing a more mature and honed side of their sound, and incorporating more elements of indie rock and post-punk across ten tight tracks. They’ve already played festival stages like SXSW and Coachella, and their vibey, inviting indie rock stylings are a perfect way to shut down That Tent on Sunday evening!

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