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Oh Wonder

From Wikipedia - Reading time: 13 min
This article is about the band. For their self-titled album, see Oh Wonder (album).

Oh Wonder
Oh Wonder performing in 2016
Oh Wonder performing in 2016
Background information
OriginLondon, United Kingdom
Genres
Years active2014–present
Labels
Members
  • Josephine Vander West
  • Anthony Vander West
Websiteohwondermusic.com

Oh Wonder are an English, London-based alt-pop duo consisting of Anthony Vander West (né West) and Josephine Vander West (née Vander Gucht). Since releasing their debut album, they have seen international success with their alt-pop singles. Oh Wonder recorded and released one song a month for a year, starting in September 2014.[2] All of the songs were released together as a self-titled debut album on 4 September 2015.[3] On 14 July 2017, the duo released their second album, Ultralife. On 12 February 2020, they released their third album, No One Else Can Wear Your Crown. On 8 October 2021, the now-married duo released their fourth studio album, 22 Break. All four albums were written, recorded, produced, and mixed by the duo and have seen cross-platform success.

The band played sold-out shows in London, Paris, New York, and Los Angeles one week after their debut album release, which marked the beginning of their touring career. They have since played multiple headline shows and festivals in numerous countries.[4]

History

[edit]

Formation and early years

[edit]
Josephine Vander West performing as a solo artist in 2010

Before Oh Wonder was formed, Josephine was a solo artist, first going by her own name and later under the alias LAYLA. Anthony was originally part of the groups Tonight Is Goodbye, Futures, and We the Wild.[5] The two first met in High Wycombe on 21 March 2010, when Anthony was in the audience at one of Josephine's solo gigs. A year later, she attended one of his shows, talked with him, and they began writing songs and making music together.[citation needed]

The duo released their first two songs under the name Wonder Wonder but changed it to Oh Wonder when they learned of another band with a similar name.[6]

2014–2016: Oh Wonder

[edit]
Main article: Oh Wonder (album)

Oh Wonder had an unorthodox approach to releasing their eponymous debut album, Oh Wonder. Over the course of a year, the duo released one new single each month, beginning 1 September 2014,[7] having written, produced, and mixed each song in their home studio in London.[8] These monthly installations culminated in the 2015 release of that first album, which also included two previously unreleased songs. The record reached number 26 on the UK Albums Chart, number 16 on the Canadian Albums Chart,[9] and number 80 on the US Billboard 200.[10][11]

Oh Wonder gave their debut live performance for BBC Radio 1 at Maida Vale Studios, after receiving avid support from BBC Introducing and DJs Huw Stephens and Greg James.[12] The band's first TV performance was on Conan, which aired in the US on 20 January 2016. They performed their single "Lose It".[13]

Since their debut album release, Oh Wonder has toured internationally in the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Russia, Australia, Canada, and the United States. Their performance in Manila was their first show in Asia.[14] They also toured as the opening act on the final installment of the Badlands Tour with Halsey from 21 July to 12 August 2016.[15] Their 2016 debut festival appearances included Bonnaroo,[16] Firefly,[17] and Lollapalooza[18] music festivals in the United States, in addition to Live Out in Monterrey, WayHome Festival in Oro-Medonte, Canada, and Electric Picnic in Stradbally, Ireland.[19]

2016–2018: Ultralife

[edit]
Josephine Vander West on the Ultralife World Tour in 2018
Main article: Ultralife (album)

On 30 March 2017, Oh Wonder announced that they'd finished their second studio album, to be titled Ultralife. The record's lead track, "Ultralife", was released the day after. As with their previous album, the group released new singles every two weeks in the run-up to the album's publication.[citation needed]

The duo embarked on the Ultralife World Tour in 2017, which saw them play a long run of headline shows in 34 countries across Asia, Australia, Europe, and North and South America. They also played three shows with Beck on his 2018 North America Tour.[20]

2019–2020: No One Else Can Wear Your Crown and Home Tapes

[edit]
Main article: No One Else Can Wear Your Crown

On 5 September 2019, Oh Wonder released "Hallelujah", the first single from their upcoming album, followed by "Better Now" on 25 October and "I Wish I Never Met You" on 14 November. The same day, they announced via Twitter that the album, titled No One Else Can Wear Your Crown,[21] would be released on 7 November. This was followed by the singles "This Christmas", "Happy", and "In and Out of Love". As part of the press coverage around their third album, Josephine and Anthony revealed they were in a relationship and had been for the past seven years.[22]

The pair were to embark on a tour to support No One Else Can Wear Your Crown throughout Europe and North America in March 2020; however, the latter part of the tour, including the entirety of the North American segment, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[23]

Whilst subject to the 2020 UK "stay at home" restrictions related to the novel coronavirus, Oh Wonder released a series of new tracks on an EP titled Home Tapes.[24][25][26]

2021–2022: 22 Break and 22 Make

[edit]
Oh Wonder performing in Kingston upon Thames in 2022

On 22 September 2021, Oh Wonder announced their fourth studio album, 22 Break, and released the title track. Described by the duo as "maybe the first break-up album in history written and recorded with the person you're breaking up with", the album documents their near-split in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and their time away from touring.[27] It was released on 8 October 2021, alongside a 40-minute black-and-white short film accompanying the record in full.[28][29]

On 7 October 2022, the band published a sequel album, 22 Make, as a celebration of their relationship.[30]

2024: That Woman

[edit]

In March 2024, Josephine announced that she had been working on a solo album under the stage name That Woman, with Anthony serving only as a producer. Her debut single, "Hymn for a Woman", which explores different aspects of womanhood, was released independently on 3 May 2024.[31]

Personal life

[edit]

Anthony and Josephine married in July 2021,[32] and both changed their surnames to Vander West.[33]

They run a complex of music recording studios, Highwater, located on the bank of the River Thames in Deptford, London,[34] as well as a coffee shop, NOLA Coffee, located in the London district of Peckham.[32] "NOLA is an embodiment of all their favourite experiences of cafes around the world distilled into one beautiful space".[35]

Discography

[edit]

Studio albums

[edit]
List of studio albums, with selected chart positions, details and certifications
Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
UK
[36] 		AUS
[37] 		BEL
(Fl)
[38] 		BEL
(Wa)
[39] 		CAN
[40] 		IRE
[41] 		NLD
[42] 		SWI
[43] 		US
[44]
Oh Wonder 26 — 55 135 19 54 50 87 80
Ultralife
  • Released: 14 July 2017[49]
  • Label: Island, Republic
  • Format: CD, digital download, vinyl
 8 37 28 115 17 38 48 62 76
No One Else Can Wear Your Crown
  • Released: 7 February 2020[50]
  • Label: Island
  • Format: CD, digital download, vinyl, streaming
 8 — 84 — — — 86 — —
22 Break
  • Released: 8 October 2021[51]
  • Label: Island
  • Format: CD, digital download, vinyl, streaming
 51 — — — — — — — —
22 Make
  • Released: 7 October 2022[52]
  • Label: Island
  • Format: CD, digital download, vinyl, streaming
 — — 123 — — — — — —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

EP

[edit]
  • Home Tapes (2020)

Singles

[edit]

As lead artist

[edit]
List of singles as a lead artist, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name
Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
BEL
(Fl)
Tip
[38] 		US
Rock
[53]
"Body Gold" 2014 — — Oh Wonder
"Shark" — —
"Dazzle" — —
"All We Do" — —
"The Rain" — —
"Lose It" 2015 — 45
"Technicolour Beat" — —
"Midnight Moon" — —
"Livewire" — —
"White Blood" — —
"Landslide" 103 —
"Drive" 6 —
"Heart Hope" — —
"Without You" 34 —
"Plans" — —
"Ultralife" 2017 47 36 Ultralife
"Lifetimes" — 48
"My Friends" — —
"Heavy" — —
"High on Humans" — —
"Solo" — —
"All About You" — —
"Bigger Than Love" — —
"Heart Strings" — —
"Slip Away" — —
"Overgrown" — —
"Waste" — —
"Hallelujah"[56] 2019 42 — No One Else Can Wear Your Crown
"Better Now"[57] — —
"I Wish I Never Met You"[58] — —
"This Christmas"[59] — — Non-album single
"Happy"[60] 2020 46 — No One Else Can Wear Your Crown
"In and Out of Love" — —
"Lonely Star"[61] — — Home Tapes
"Keep on Dancing"[62] — —
"I Like It When You Love Me"[63] — —
"22 Break" 2021 — — 22 Break
"Don't Let the Neighbourhood Hear" — —
"Rollercoaster Baby" — —
"Magnificent" 2022 — — 22 Make[52]
"Fuck It I Love You" — —
"True Romance" — —
"Can We Always Be Friends?" — —
"—" denotes singles that did not chart or were not released in that territory.
[edit]
List of singles as a featured artist, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name
Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
UK
[64] 		AUS
[65] 		CAN
[66] 		NZ Heat.
[67] 		US
[68] 		US
Dance
[69] 		US R&B/HH
[70]
"The Way Life Goes"
(Lil Uzi Vert featuring Oh Wonder or also Nicki Minaj) 		2017 87 85 48 4 24 — 13 Luv Is Rage 2
"Superlove"[74]
(Whethan featuring Oh Wonder) 		2018 — — — — — 48 — Non-album single
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Other charted songs

[edit]
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
US Dance[69]
"How Would I Know"
(with Kygo) 		2020 33 Golden Hour

Songwriting and production credits

[edit]
Title Year Artist Album Contributing member(s) Songwriter Producer
"Echoes" 2015 Lauren Aquilina
Non-album single
 Anthony Vander West checkY checkY
Josephine Vander West checkY
"Hello Hello" 2017 Lewis Watson Midnight Both checkY checkY
"Deep the Water" checkY checkY
"Forever" checkY checkY
"Give Me Life" checkY checkY
"Slumber" checkY checkY
"Fly" Meadowlark Postcards Anthony Vander West checkY
"Eyes Wide" checkY
"Slow Fade" 2019 Ruth B. Maybe I'll Find You Again Both checkY checkY
"Personal Best" Maisie Peters It's Your Bed Babe, It's Your Funeral checkY checkY
"Nothing Like You"
(with Droeloe featuring Hana) 		Gryffin Gravity checkY
"Another Song" 2020 Lewis Watson The Love That You Want checkY
"Dizzy"
(featuring Thomas Headon and Alfie Templeman) 		2021 Chloe Moriondo
Non-album single
 checkY
"I Wish I Wasn't Me" 2023 Eric Nam House on a Hill checkY checkY
"Never Ever Love a Liar" Bea and her Business Introverted Extrovert Anthony Vander West checkY checkY
Josephine Vander West checkY
"If I Was a God" Anthony Vander West checkY checkY
Josephine Vander West checkY
"Born to Be Alive" Anthony Vander West checkY checkY
Josephine Vander West checkY
"Good Things" 2024
Non-album single
 Anthony Vander West checkY checkY
Josephine Vander West checkY

References

[edit]
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  2. ^ Donelson, Marcy. "Oh Wonder | Biography & History | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
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  4. ^ "Oh Wonder on Instagram: "Last show done ☑️ high fives and endless love to everyone that made it to one of the 318 shows that we've played across 45 countries.…"". Instagram. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  5. ^ Hixon, Shalene. "Band Spotlight: Oh Wonder". Cal Times. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
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  8. ^ Feldberg, Isaac. "Oh Wonder caps off an electric debut tour - The Boston Globe". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
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  13. ^ "Conan O'Brien Presents: Team Coco – Timeline | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
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  16. ^ "Q&A: Oh Wonder Cool Down Bonnaroo | SPIN". 14 June 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
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  28. ^ "Oh Wonder Break Down Their Break Up Album That Brought Them Back Together". Entertainment Voice. 16 October 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  29. ^ Robinson, Ellie (23 September 2021). "Oh Wonder detail fourth album, '22 Break', and share dazzling title track". NME. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  30. ^ "Oh Wonder's New Album, '22 Make' Is Out Now". udiscovermusic.com. 11 October 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  31. ^ Hulpiau, Johannes (3 May 2024). "Debuutsingle That Woman – "Hymn for a Woman"". Dansende Beren (in Dutch). Retrieved 4 May 2024.
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  34. ^ "Highwater". HIGHWATER. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  35. ^ "about us – NOLA". NOLA Coffee. October 2022.
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  57. ^ "Better Now – Single by Oh Wonder". Apple Music. 25 October 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
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  59. ^ "This Christmas – Single by Oh Wonder". Apple Music. 29 November 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  60. ^ "Oh Wonder – Happy". Spotify. 3 January 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  61. ^ "Lonely Star – Single by Oh Wonder". Apple Music. 3 April 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
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  63. ^ "I Like It When You Love Me – Single by Oh Wonder". Apple Music. 1 May 2020. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
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  65. ^ "ARIA Chart Watch #446". auspOp. 4 November 2017. Archived from the original on 11 November 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
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  74. ^ Bein, Kat (15 June 2018). "Whethan Makes 'Superlove' With Oh Wonder, Announces 2018 Tour: Listen". Billboard. Archived from the original on 17 June 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
[edit]
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