Wake Island

Wake Island is a Montréal-based group made up of four musicians from Lebanon, the United States and Canada. The band forms around the meeting of Nadim, Derek, Philippe and Evan, who come together unexpectedly while settling in Montréal. Their music develops from that shared experience of adapting to a new place and to one another, and from the cultural exchange between Eastern and Western backgrounds.

Background and early work

The group begins after its members arrive in Montréal, where they are also pursuing different personal projects, including a Ph.D. in cell biology, work in film distribution and music studies. Those parallel paths feed into the band’s approach, which is described through ideas of dialogue, adjustment and cultural contrast. Their first album, Fairytales from the Island, is built as an attempt to find common ground between clashing cultures and uses an orchestral approach to reflect that aim.

Later release and sound

Wake Island later releases It Takes Time To Be Uncomfortable, a follow-up record made with longtime producer and collaborator Jace Lasek, who also works with The Besnard Lakes, Wolf Parade and Suuns. The album adds a new member and presents a more unified vision. Its songwriting is compared with King Crimson, while its wider sound draws on artists such as Grizzly Bear, Wolf Parade and Charles Mingus. The record is tracked at Breakglass Studio using its Neve console, a 1968 Germanium desk associated with recording parts of Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti, and combines analogue and digital techniques.

Themes

The band’s songs focus on contemporary society, the interaction between Eastern and Western cultures, and the effects of comfort on personal and social development. Tracks such as “I Like It” and “The Wind” reflect those concerns, with the former presenting a silent and submissive society and the latter offering a more hopeful view centred on compassion and mutual understanding.

Members

Wake Island’s members are Philippe, Nadim, Derek and Evan.