Wavvy James: Pearls
I hustle into the cacophonous coffee shop ten minutes late (excuses, excuses) and my morning meeting is waiting for me with a smile stretched across his face. Abe Yellen strolls up to me and assuages my hangover with menu suggestions and the reassurance that he got the big, cozy booth in the corner. I order a cold pint of caffeine and scooch around dimly lit table in the back until I’m close enough to listen well. Then I get to listening.
Wavvy James x Parker Thornton
Yellen is from Colorado Springs, and you can feel the mountain in the man. After high school he hit the road with Night Beds for a few years, driving the witching hour shift and setting up stages before working into a production role. After years of producing dreamy indie folk, the Colorado kid longed for more movement in his music, tapping into his love of the Soulquarian movement to inspire new work. He followed his love to Austin and began to produce rap for other artists, then recently he felt the pull of producing his own sound.
Enter Wavvy James.
Wavvy James x Parker Thornton
Pearls, the first track from Wavvy James, dropped last night. The song encapsulates what Wavvy James is about, combining Yellen’s love for musicians like J. Dilla and the Soulquarians with the synthy pop popularized in modern hip hop. His years behind the boards for other artists allow Wavvy James to draw from a litany of finely honed sounds, creating a name-worthy dreamscape tucked into a carefully crafted frame. The result is a sunset swoon; a song that bleeds for love and makes you move.
Yellen takes the stage this for a free show Saturday at Mohawk to debut Wavvy James. We’ll be there with bells on, and afterwards we’ll share a full conversation with Yellen about life, music and all things wavy. See you there. Until then, roll down your window and turn this shit up.