Track by Track is our recurring feature series in which artists guide readers through each song on a release. Today, the New York trio Why Bonnie break down their terrific sophomore album, Wish on the Bone.
The New York indie rock trio Why Bonnie, led by singer and songwriter Blair Howerton, knows that life can feel like a losing game, and having hope that things get better is an act of fearless courage. It’s a big theme of their new album Wish on the Bone, which expands subtle, minute feelings into existential questions.
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For Howerton, the journey of Wish on the Bone lies in the quest to live an authentic life. She centers her writing on topics like transformation and growth — in relationships and by herself — while also acknowledging the powerless and lack of control that being alive today fosters. Despite the looming darkness of late-stage capitalism throughout the album, Howerton feels Wish on the Bone is as hopeful as its namesake suggests.
“Hope, to me, is strength,” Howerton says in a statement. “These songs were written out of hope for a better future. I’m not naïve, the world is fucked up, but I think you can radically accept that while still believing it’s possible to change things.”
Across 11 songs, Howerton and her bandmates Chance Williams and Josh Malett take some of those radical risks, and the resulting record features some of their sharpest songwriting yet. “This album is about choosing hope, beauty, and love every day because nothing is worth it if you don’t believe in those things,” Howerton says. Simply put, even when the glass is destroyed, you can still find ways to see it half-full.
Stream Wish on the Bone below, and read on for Why Bonnie’s Track By Track breakdown.