The songwriters behind Austin, Texas, indie pop outfit Wild Child hammered out their first tunes together in the back of the van while they were both touring as part of the backing band for another artist. There’s a chamber-pop, musical-theater vibe to some of their songs, but they also have a drive and energy. Fans of the Zombies and Arcade Fire will hear some points of overlap. Fiddle, ukulele, cello, trumpet and keyboards allow the band to add a gypsy-jazz kiss to their songs.
The band’s 2015 record “Fools” has a little more grit to it, like they traded in one sliver of cabaret zip for a chunk of rock band muscle and soulful smolder. Kelsey Wilson, part of the band’s main singing and songwriting pair, sings with an expressive amount of swoops and shivers. The band is about sharing big emotion, sometimes sad, sometimes cathartic. If you believe that eclectic pop is the 21st-century version of the art song, Wild Child seems to share the feeling.
Wild Child plays at Ballroom at the Outer Space, 295 Treadwell St., Hamden, Saturday, March 4, at 9 p.m. Tickets are $16. 203-288-6400, thespacect.com.
