Sultan Room Wasn't Ready for Wilmah and Neither Was I

This past April, I headed to The Sultan Room to finally catch Wilmah live—a band I’d been hearing about for months around the NYC scene. The group was started by Matt Connolly (vocals/guitar) and Will O’Connor (bass), and they were joined on stage by Mark Dylan (lead guitar), Ryan Wax (acoustic guitar), Greg Carleton (saxophone), and Matt Bove (drums). I’d heard they were an incredible live act, and they did not disappoint. Also, side note - The Sultan Room might just be one of the prettiest venues I’ve seen in a while, rivaling Antoinette’s in Sandy Hook, CT. Before their set, I got the chance to sit down with the guys for a quick interview. I’ve done a lot of interviews over the past, but this one was genuinely the most fun I’ve had in a while.

YFG: We’ve got to kick things off with a serious question. I saw something on Spotify and just had to ask—how does it feel to be, hands down, the biggest and most impressive band in the world right now?

Matt: Feels pretty good. Honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Will: It’s definitely a lot to live up to—but I think we’re meeting the expectations.

I’d like to point out—this is some fine journalism right here. For the Wilmah fans, I HAD to get to the bottom of it. You’re welcome.

When I asked what fans could expect from the show that night, Matt told me they were planning to play some great tunes and just hoped the crowd would have as much fun as they do on stage. Will kept it short and sweet, saying, “We’re giving it our all”—though he quickly pointed out that his brevity was because he was in the middle of devouring a sandwich before hitting the stage. I couldn’t help but laugh.

YFG: You guys grew up in Buffalo and knew each other as kids, but it wasn’t really until music that you became close. Can you talk a bit about how that happened?

Matt: Yeah, we definitely knew of each other growing up, but it was music that really brought us together.

Will joked around, saying, "Matt summed it up pretty well." He then added, "I will say I was two years older than Matt, so that's why I had my license. Well, I still am two years older. I'll always still be two years older... I was, but now I'm not." Will went on to talk about a tradition they have when they're back in Buffalo, where either Matt or he would pick up the others. They would drive down a stretch of Main Street that leads to an ice cream place they love, all while listening to the music they used to enjoy. It was a time to share new songs with each other, just like they did back in the day.

This was actually my first-time groupies seeing Wilmah live, but from everything I’d heard—the saxophone solos, the dancing crowds—I knew they put on a show. I asked them when they started being intentional about the production and energy of their live performances, or if it all came together naturally. Will jumped in first, joking, “Really like last show—no, not the last—we’re incorporating a bunch of new choreography tonight.” I teased that it sounded like a Backstreet Boys moment, which got some laughs. Matt chimed in more seriously, “I think that when we first started playing, our focus was to sound good and perform the songs well. And then over time, you realize the value of putting on a show. Once you have a handle on being a good musician, then you can add the fun elements. And that’s super important to the audience.” Will joked, “It’s still hard for me when we get to the doorbell slide. We’re not dancers!"

YFG: Your latest single, All of the Time, captures that push and pull of constantly thinking about someone while trying not to. Who’s behind the writing process for that track? And how does it feel to be part of this wave of bringing back yearning men? kind of like what we’ve seen from artists like Role Model and Inhaler lately?

Matt: I’d say we’ve been yearning since the beginning—we really started that wave. For us, it just feels natural to talk about how we’re feeling. I wrote the lyrics to that song because it came from a real experience—like, a hundred percent a true story.

Will:  I watched him live it in real time.

With their new single titled All of the Time, I had to ask the obvious (and admittedly cheesy) question: what do you guys think about all of the time? They laughed, admitting it really depends on what’s going on in their lives. "You’re actually the first person to ask us that,” they said. After a brief moment of hesitation and a few laughs, one of them joked, “I’m never gonna answer that seriously… Right now? Beer. Yeah, right now—beer.”

YFG: What do you hope people take away from your music—especially with the potential of new stuff?

Matt: I always say that I love it when I listen to a song and feel like it was written for me. So I hope people can find a piece of themselves in our music.

Will: It’s happened before. We’ve had some older songs where friends of mine in college would say, ‘I relate to this song. I’m going through such a similar time in my life.’ And I’m just like, wow, that’s crazy. I didn’t know someone else could have such a similar experience.

Before I wrapped up the interview I told them I’m a foodie—and judging by their energy, it seemed like they were too. When I lived in New York, I practically lived inside every Spanish bakery in Jackson Heights. So I had to ask: what are some local spots or bars they’d recommend people check out? And better yet, what’s one restaurant or place that best represents the band? “Good question,” Matt said. “I mean, it’s gotta be like a pub or something, or a dive bar with food—that’s the best. Bonus Room, maybe?” He turned to Greg who plays saxophone for backup. “Greg, what do you think about that answer?” After some back and forth, they landed on it. “Yeah, we’ll go with Bonus Room.”

After we wrapped up the interview, the boys hit the stage and played some of their crowd favorites like “Crazy 4 Your Crazy” and “Good to Go”—and everything people say about their live shows is true. They really put on a show. The crowd was either dancing or in the middle of a mosh pit, shouting every lyric right back at them. People were getting drunk off their asses, dancing like no one was watching, completely lost in the moment. And when the saxophone solos hit? Total chaos—in the best way. Even though I went to the show alone, it didn’t feel weird at all, which can sometimes happen. It was the kind of energy that pulled everyone into the same surreal, music-fueled trance.

If you’re ever in NYC and Wilmah’s playing a show, do yourself a favor and check them out—especially if you’re in the mood to dance, get a little (or a lot) tipsy to some upbeat tracks, or if you’ve got a crush and just need to feel something, lol. They really know how to put on a show, and I seriously can’t wait to see what they come out with next.

All our love,

Your Favorite Groupies