Chloe Gardner, Michael Potts, Lewis Cooke and Alex Baker have been playing in various bands together since their teens. The Sunderland-based quartet’s latest guise is called Chloe & The Brainwaves. They cite influences ranging from Jeff Buckley to Joni Mitchell and Soundgarden to Big Thief. Me, I also hear bands like Fleetwood Mac, First Aid Kit and Temples shining through. And if you like this new track, you’ll probably fall for Wings Of Love by Liv (a highlight from 2016) as well.

Mind Running Wild is only C&TB’s sophomore single. It’s a dreamy indie-rock song that pairs haunting vocals with stunning guitar riffs and killer melodies. A combination that gives the song a ‘90s, The Cranberries kind of feel. The rather dark musical backdrop mirrors the raw honesty of Chloe’s lyrics about childhood trauma endured in silence. Ultimately however, it’s a song of hope.

As the band explain: “Mind Running Wild is about coming to terms with the trauma of psychological and sexual abuse endured as a child and the emptiness and shame it leaves behind. Through government cuts, funding to Mental Health services make it impossible for victims to access the help they desperately need. Then they battle with addictions and misunderstood negative manifestations that follow them throughout adulthood, leaving adult victims of childhood sexual abuse without a voice. This song is a glimmer of hope for those people. Speaking to a safe person or counsellor can help relieve the weight that is often carried as a secret for decades. You are not alone.”

Mind Running Wild by Chloe & The Brainwaves is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. This implies that it will be prominently displayed at the top of the blog for an entire week.

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In the Wildcards 2023 playlist you’ll find all of this year’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcards so far.

Werner Schlosser

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.