It takes time to become a cowboy, and the gentle, rolling ‘aotearoa americana’ songs of US-raised, but these days Wellington-based, singer-songwriter Sig Wilder ‘hold a cracked mirror to the long, slow work of making sense of who we are’. Wind Up City is a track on the Sig Wilder & Friends debut album titled ‘Cowboy Practice’, which was included on NZ On Air Music’s  September NewTracks compilation.

What’s your given name? Where were you born and what instruments do you play?

Kia ora, my name is Matthew Campbell. I was born in a small town west of St. Louis, Missouri, and now live in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. I am primarily a singer, however I play a touch of guitar, piano, drums, and a few other things when the moment calls for it.

Any other artist projects that we might know you from?

Hmm likely not, but I’ve been in quite a few projects over the years.

What’s the background to Sig Wilder becoming a recording artist?

In the summer of 2019 I wrote Stop Myself, the last track on the new album, ‘Cowboy Practice’. That was when I started writing as Sig Wilder in earnest. I wrote a handful of country-esque songs and drew up the courage to record them. In April 2022 I took a trip to Lincoln, Nebraska to see my friend and producer Philip Zach at The Grid Studio – his beautiful artist community space and recording studio. We tracked early demos of the songs that would eventually make up the album.

When and how did you settle on the artist name?

From the moment I started working on this collection of songs I knew I wanted to release under a pseudonym – to create a character for this world I was constructing in the songs. I can’t exactly recall where Sig came from, but Wilder is from a smutty ’90s novel called Wilder’s Woman – an op shop find – which featured a photo-realistic painting of a burly cowboy on the cover.

How has your music evolved since your earliest songwriting?

I was 15 years old when I wrote my first lyrics for a three-song EP with my band No Signal. I’m not sure what I was thinking about at the time but the lyrics seem almost nonsensical to me now – at least it rhymes! The next year I started learning guitar and piano, which launched me into what has been a long relationship with writing songs and lyrics.
I’ve written hundreds of songs between then and now. It’s been a massive learning experience, and I’ve been figuring it out in public, which can be daunting. If I’m being honest, I don’t really consider anything I’ve written before this album worth listening to, but all of those songs got me to where I am now. I’m proud of this album because I’m applying what I’ve learned, thinking deeply about what I’m saying, and doing my best to paint a picture – to evoke something in the listener. 

Aside from the album release, what’s been the Sig highlight to date?

Meeting Mads Taylor, Sofia Machray, and Tessa Dillon (my bandmates) is easily the highlight. Along with the other incredible people I’ve had the pleasure of making music with along the way.

What made Wind Up City stand out for you as a single choice?

Wind Up City wasn’t an official single from the album. In my opinion it’s a bit of a dark horse on the album and I’m glad to give it a new breath of life.

What’s the lyrical story behind Wind Up City?

‘Cowboy Practice’ is full of songs with rich lyrical stories, however Wind Up City is not one of them. This song is more atmospheric – it’s a series of lyrical paintings.

And your favourite moment, musical or lyrical, of the track?

There’s a drum fill that happens at 1.10 that really satisfies something in me musically. 

Who did you record/produce the single with?

The initial recording was done with Philip Zach in Lincoln. We spent the days in the studio, and the nights playing Star Wars Imperial Assault until 2 or 3 in the morning! Every match I got my ass handed to me. I’m looking forward to a rematch next time I’m in Nebraska. The only thing we ended up keeping from that recording session was the acoustic guitar. Everything else was re-recorded at Lunchbox Studio in Wellington. 

What would you like listeners to take away from this song?

The song is about enjoying what you have and doing your best not to take things for granted. I hope listeners enjoy the company of themselves as they listen to this song. 

What aspects of your ‘self’ does Wind Up City talk about?

There is a line at the end of the song, “Nothing fancy town, not here, not now. I miss you. But that don’t change anything.” Like most of the tracks on the album, I’m dealing with the theme of duality – of being two people at once, or perhaps one person torn in two. Wind Up City is a rambly kind of song in which I explore the past self that I miss but can no longer get back to, and my current self that I am becoming content with. 

When did you settle in Wellington and what brought you here?

I moved to Wellington when I was 21 after living in Austin for two years with my band, January May. After the band broke up my brother and I decided we would move somewhere else… New York, Portland maybe? How about Vancouver? And then one of us said, “or New Zealand?” And the rest was a blur. We packed up a few suitcases and I had my first ever international flight to my new home Aotearoa New Zealand. 

Who else is in your team?

We have had help along the way from various groups and individuals. The folks at Home Alone Music helped release this debut album. Ruby Leonard has been crucial, from editing lyrics to producing songs to artwork and design. And of course the band; Mads Taylor, Sofia Machray and Tessa Dillon. 

The album is available on Bandcamp, but only one of the songs is on Spotify. How come?

I wrote an extensive newsletter regarding the decision to keep our album off of Spotify. (Available to read for free at https://sigwilder.substack.com/). The bottom line is I believe that any company which makes its fortunes off the work of musicians should make significant returns to the music ecosystem. That goes for their CEOs as well. Spotify and Ek are not investing in the wellbeing of the artists that power their platform. I encourage everyone to read the whole newsletter and consider using other streaming platforms or Bandcamp.

Can you please name three other local tunes that would fit well on a playlist alongside your song. 

Jazmine Mary: My Brilliance
Lorina Harding: Take Me To Austin
Frances Grass: Free

Have any of your previous single releases been included on NewTracks? 

Yes, our track Light Tower in August 2023

Have you previously applied for NZOA funding?

No, we haven’t applied for funding.

Are there any musical blogs, Youtube channels or podcasts you’re into?

Mouthfull Radio, Digging with Flo for NTS, Song Chest Radio Hour, If Books Could Kill Podcast (not a music podcast but I highly recommend) and David Byrne Radio. 

How can we find you on social media?

https://sigwilder.com/

https://www.instagram.com/sigwilder/

Is there a music video for the track?

No, but we did make one for Slow Time. On March 24, 2024 the band loaded up a borrowed ute with camera gear, musical props, and homemade foot-long subs and made our way as far south as possible to capture the perfect sunset for the Slow Time music video. We shot four takes before the sun sank into the ocean.
The video takes the viewer (physically) from Kawakawa Station to Ngawi Tractors along the rugged coastline and (metaphorically) between the two sides of myself. I’m hitchin’ a ride on the ute of life. Filmed by Taylor Nixon, with support from Mads Taylor, Frank Leonard, Ruby Leonard and Johnny Grose.

Photo by Mak Azores