Wild Heart Club

Wild Heart Club is the latest project from singer, songwriter, and genre-defying musician Kristen Castro, an artist known for blending electronic, digital, and analog elements into dreamy, atmospheric indie pop. After building a name for herself as an independent solo artist with dark tastes, polished retro pop production, and unique electric guitar lines, Castro started Wild Heart Club in Portland during pandemic lockdown while healing from the breakup of her relationship and band. She used music to process emotion, honing her idiosyncratic style into a buoyant and cohesive new album that combines optimistic self-reflection with candid meditations on loss. Written, recorded, and produced by Castro, Wild Heart Club’s debut album Arcade back in Manitou is set for release in October, 2021.

Named for a happy memory, Arcade back in Manitou is an ethereal and lush collection of melancholy songs with a gloss of retro sheen: think Sigur Ros meets Heart, with a bit of the Cocteau Twins thrown in the mix. The songs feel both effortless and complex at the same time, filled with a spirit of experimentation and discovery despite the heartbreak explored in the lyrics. Inspired by a mix of Swedish pop (Robyn, Léon, Abba) and a range of alt-rock and electro-pop acts (the Cranberries, Fleetwood Mac, Muna), the synth-heavy, guitar-driven soundscapes are laced with Castro’s breezy, candied vocals. The result is a strangely compelling sound that feels perfect for the current moment.