In March 2020, Kelsey Wilson’s plans changed abruptly, just like the rest of the world’s. The Wild Child vocalist was planning to release her new soulful project, Sir Woman’s first full-length album, to be titled Party City, a move Wilson calls “the most inappropriate thing you could do at that moment in time.” She trimmed the album down to the five most uplifting songs, and, in October 2020, released the aptly titled Bitch EP.
The stylistic differences between Sir Woman and Wild Child are apparent. Wilson says she’s always written soulful hooks, and in recent years that theme has become more dominant in her songwriting. Lyrically, the bands are miles apart as well. Whereas Wild Child songs tend to focus on heartbreak, Wilson says, “A lot of the songs I was writing for Sir Woman were literally me kind of just falling in love with myself and figuring out my particular voice.” Singing those breakup songs tour after tour took a toll on the singer, so she was inspired to create verses of joy and self-love.
Even the name Sir Woman comes from Wilson’s desire to lean into the most authentic parts of her being. “I’ve always been a more masculine female,” she says, “and Sir Woman is about embracing that and finding sensuality in that.”
Wilson didn’t touch a musical instrument for the first few months of the pandemic. At that time, she recalls, “I felt that if I was going to write a song, it needed to save the fucking world.” Eventually, she came around. “People still need music, and we still need to make it,” she says. “People still need love songs — and that’s something I can do.”
Photo by BarbaraFG
