Minnesota roots trio Wild Horses made a major commitment to music in 2021: after securing a slot at Grand Rapids Riverfest, founding members Jed and Ariana LaPlant sold their home, bought a 1989 Chevy Astro van and set out on the road. Their touring experiences now shape The In Between, the band’s second studio album, released in October through Atlantic Outpost Records.
The husband-and-wife songwriters had been working other jobs and paying for a house when the pandemic brought a turning point. Jed says he broke his back, and his construction job was no longer a viable option. The couple began playing with local friends, then decided to pursue music full time. “We’re going all-in,” Jed recalls saying.
Since then, Wild Horses have spent nearly all their time touring, playing their own shows and supporting artists including Charley Crockett, Trampled by Turtles and Sam Barber. After the band’s 2022 debut, Runaway, they replaced the Astro with a high-mileage coach converted into a tour bus. The lineup eventually settled into a trio: Jed on vocals and guitar, Ariana on vocals, fiddle and keys, and bassist Landon Pahl, a longtime friend of Jed’s who left his day job to join them.
The In Between brings together nine songs written by the LaPlants. Its title comes from “Sunrise on the Absaroke,” a road-weary track about trying to make ends meet while living in close quarters. Another song, “Take It As It Comes,” pairs a fast guitar-and-fiddle arrangement with lyrics shaped by the band’s experience playing noisy bars and trying to win over audiences. Jed says the song’s urgency reflected the feeling that “this had better work.”
The band has found receptive audiences on the road, including during an October tour with Trampled by Turtles. In December, Wild Horses are scheduled to join Sam Barber for a run of shows starting in the Midwest and ending on the West Coast. For Jed, touring also offers a chance to see how listeners respond to the songs, including those inspired by the grief of leaving behind the couple’s dream home and the joy of watching the music build in a live setting.
Sources: Rolling Stone.