On November 7th last year, British singer-songwriter Will Westerman, who performs as Westerman, released his most recent full-length EP, “A Jackal’s Wedding”. It’s 43 minutes of experimental art-rock full of unconventional song structures and heady lyrics that are encompassed and supported by some wacky but remarkable production that is sometimes reminiscent of Bon Iver’s “22, A Million”.
Before the release of “A Jackal’s Wedding”, Westerman released two albums: “Your Hero Is Not Dead” in 2020 and “An Inbuilt Fault” in 2023. “Your Hero Is Not Dead” stars the chill yet mystifying, unconventional pop breeziness of the song “Confirmation” and is a strong display of experimental folk songwriting, with production help from Big Thief drummer James Krivchenia.
“A Jackal’s Wedding” and the rest of Westerman’s catalog are absolutely worth exploring for fans of art rock and experimental folk with an emphasis on heady songwriting. A record with such a unique use of evolution and motion through sound is bound to sound different in a live setting. And when the alien-sounding experience of the record is brought to life on stage at The Atlantis, the more intimate next-door neighbor of the 9:30 Club, whose design replicates the original venue, the concert will certainly be an enthralling experience.
The “A Jackal’s Wedding” Tour starts in Atlanta and arrives in DC at The Atlantis on March 19 with Otto Benson as the opener. Doors are at 6:30 p.m., and tickets for the show are still available here.