Vancouver Island’s Wet Future Drops Captivating New Single ‘Mona Lisa’ – A Journey Through Romance and Obsession in Pop-Rock Harmony
Vancouver Island-based band Wet Future unveils their latest heartfelt single, “Mona Lisa,” via Elbowroom Recording.
With sweeping vocals and euphoric nods to pop-rock, “Mona Lisa” acts as an exciting statement in the band’s ever-evolving discography. “If I could have dreams / I’d see those eyes” Sean Lyons sings over towering guitar chords and drum washes.
“It’s loosely about this story of Vincenzo Peruggiain, a guy who stole the actual Mona Lisa” Lyons says on the inspiration behind the song. “He became so possessed with the painting that he stole it, and the song became about tapping into the things we become obsessed over.”
Fluctuating between romantic confusion and historical anecdotes, “Mona Lisa” bridges modern rock with the tonality of 80s pop-rock.
Continuing to innovate new-found forms of Canadian rock, stay tuned for more to come as Wet Future gears up for a variety of upcoming releases.
Stemming from alternating bands, musical spaces, and the search for a solidified musical craft in the process, the members of Wet Future can all agree that music is the grounding point in their lives despite the shifting internal dynamics it often creates.
“I couldn’t stop tapping things when I was a kid,” Miles McLaren admits in his introduction to crafting music. Being forcefully enrolled into drumming lessons by his parents in grade three, his initial urge to not sit still soon became a grounding point for him as he progressed into musical drive. “After a year of drums, I went to bass guitar, and after a year of bass, I went into piano. Music became a strong presence in my life.”
Growing up across scattered parts of Vancouver Island, each band member found musical interactions both a grounding point and a source of excitement within their humdrum environments.
“I used to get into a lot of trouble,” Sean Lyons says when reflecting on his adolescent years. “I used to get kicked out of school, I even got expelled, but I found I always excelled within any on-stage environment… I became infatuated with the Beach Boys and The Beatles when I moved to Vancouver after high school. My roommate at the time had introduced me to their music, and from there, I began writing my first songs.”
With Sean and Lucas Bosma growing up in Port Alberni, their eventual transitions into larger cities like Victoria and Vancouver gave them a refreshing space to delve into crafting new music.
“Some days I would busk underneath a bridge in Coquitlam until three in the morning because it had such great reverb,” Sean states on his initial move to Vancouver. Brett Attig, who has been playing for a variety of bands consistently since the age of 22 admits that his musical ambitions were also met with financial realities. “I went to this concert when I was in grade 11, and it was so exhilarating experiencing live music. I ran home and told my parents, and they said I should get a job so I could purchase a drum set. I got a job at McDonald’s, bought my first drum set and fell in love with playing.”
Driven with musical ambition, continuously shifting bands, and a thirst for live music, the four members of Wet Future, Sean Lyons, Miles McLaren, Lucas Bosma, and Brett Attig, share a common love for making music. In the height of the pandemic, Sean Lyons and Lucas Bosma started recording the band’s debut album Under the Weather between their home studios.
“We began to take the music more seriously at that point” Lucas states, “we often worked virtually, Brett would send back our demo with an added layer on top.” With the introduction of Miles McLaren into the group, the band solidified a new direction to their sound, which can be heard in their upcoming release, “Mona Lisa,” out this November.
Finding music both a passion and grounding point in their individual lives, Wet Future is driven to push new boundaries in Canadian music upon releasing their upcoming single “Mona Lisa”. Stay tuned for more as Wet Future continues to develop new exciting musical progressions.
Care to introduce yourself?
SEAN: I’m the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for Wet Future and a full-time videographer. I’ve dedicated my professional career and everyday life to creating thought-provoking and appealing art both musically and visually.
LUCAS: I am Lucas Bosma, guitarist for Wet Future. I am currently 28 years old, and I am also from a small town on Vancouver Island called Port Alberni. I first picked up a guitar when I was 12 years old after my mom took me to the local music store with the hopes that I would stop getting into trouble. I have been in different original bands and hired for session work ever since I moved to Victoria in 2014. I’d been playing music with Sean for several years before we landed on this band.
MILES: My name is Miles Christopher McLaren and I play bass and keys in the band Wet Future. I started playing music when I was 9, starting on drums and then migrating to bass, piano, and guitar. My parents were always supportive, encouraging me and my brother to pursue music and paying for lessons. I completed the Music Technology Certificate at Douglas College in 2015. I have played in countless bands throughout high school and beyond and had just left a band when I got the DM asking if I wanted to audition to play bass in Wet Future. Aside from my music career, I work in irrigation installing and maintaining commercial and residential sprinkler systems. I have been doing irrigation and landscaping for the last 7 years with several companies. And finally, I would consider myself a pretty big nerd because of my love of specific pop culture books like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Game of Thrones (I actually have tattoos representing those 3 series).
BRETT: My name is Brett Attig, drummer for Wet Future. I was born and raised in Nanaimo BC. I started playing drums 19 years ago and fell in love with the instrument instantly, bought a kit and it became my life. Currently, I run a drum school out of my home studio in Nanaimo. Before becoming a full member of Wet Future, I played in tons of bands all over the island then became a session player on stage/in studio for many artists/bands along with working with some of the island’s best producers.
Tell us about the process of recording “Mona Lisa”?
BRETT: The day before going to record the song at Monarch Studios in Vancouver, I shut the inside of a door completely on my middle finger, no idea at the time if it was broken. The next day in the studio my whole nail was completely blue, twice the size, and throbbing like a heartbeat. So that was one of my obstacles to overcome that day tracking drums. Regardless it was an amazing experience, and we had a great team behind us that day, who helped us develop this amazing song.
SEAN: We recorded it at Monarch Studios in Vancouver with Sheldon Zaharko. We came together nicely to channel our own styles and personalities into a well-rounded and intriguing rock song.
LUCAS: We spent a day in the beautiful Monarch Studios in Vancouver, BC with Juno award-winning producer Sheldon Zaharko. We had a couple of setbacks that included Miles having a cold and Brett breaking his finger a couple of days before, but we ended up getting great tracks that we are all proud of. We worked quickly and efficiently, and everyone was in a great mood and the vibes were great! We got everything done that day and then just overdubbed background vocals and keys in our home studio.
MILES: It was our first experience in the studio all together as a full band, so we all went in eager with an open mind. We laid bed tracks together then went instrument by instrument working out any kinks and tightening up each part, shaping each sound as we recorded with the help of Sheldon Zaharko. Drums first which Brett absolutely crushed even with a broken finger. Then me on bass, guitars, and finally vocals. We even had some extra time before our session ended so I got to mess around with some in-house synths which ended up on the finished product!
What’s it like being a musician on Vancouver Island?
MILES: Before Wet Future, I never really felt part of the music community because I never played shows or involved myself with local musicians. Now it feels like being a part of a special community. The more we play locally the more connections we make and the more established we become and it’s wonderful. Everyone is supportive because we all want the same thing and encourage others to achieve their goals.
BRETT: It definitely has its ups and downs. The local music scene that I have been a part of is nothing but positive and fun. The negative is definitely having to take the ferry 100% it’s very expensive to just play a show, record or even make a name for yourself on a consistent basis.
SEAN: The exposure is more difficult than it would be on the mainland, but I try to focus on passion projects as more of a collaborative effort than that of a competition.
LUCAS: I don’t have another location to compare it to, but I can say that it’s got its ups and downs. Positively, it’s a pretty tight community and everyone really loves to support each other. Also, being in 2023 you can be based off an island as a musician but grow connections via social media platforms with a little bit of social skills. For us, the biggest negative is being on an island where you gotta take a ferry (which isn’t very dependable and expensive) to play shows/ record and connect in person.
Who was the first and most recent Canadian artist to blow you away?
LUCAS: The first Canadian artist that really blew me away (and still does) is Bryan Adams – he has SO MANY hits. I’ve seen him live several times and he and his band always blow me away. The most recent Canadian artist that comes to mind is Arkells because they’ve been together for almost 10 years before they really got global attention and they’ve done a great job of adjusting and changing with the times yet staying true to their sound and image.
MILES: First would have to be Rush. As a kid, I was absolutely obsessed. I couldn’t believe the sound they could produce as a trio; I still listen to them all the time. The most recent is easily Half Moon Run out of Montreal. I have seen them 4 times now, the most recent was last week and they never fail to impress. Every individual is so gosh darn talented, it’s inspiring and discouraging at the same time ha-ha. They are the closest thing to perfection I can think of that represents the music I love. Soulful but sinister and original.
BRETT: The most recent artist would have to be this band called “Texas King” they are based out of London, Ontario. We were fortunate enough to share the stage with them here in Nanaimo. Since then they haven’t left my playlist and became a favourite of mine. The first Canadian artist to blow me away would have to Sum 41, to this day they are one of my favourite bands I still listen to. Growing up watching their videos on Much Music they looked like they were doing nothing but have fun as a band and be themselves.
SEAN: First is a tie between Justin Bieber and Drake and most recent is a tie with Pup and The Beaches.
You’ve been making music for a bit of time now, what’s one piece of advice you can offer to those starting out?
SEAN: Use your low points and traumatic experiences (of any degree) as a tool to help turn that negative emotion into a positive message for the world. Having others enjoy your own creation can be addictive, and a good one in my opinion. Pretty soon, you’ll be able to see a bright side in all your troubles, and those feelings are contagious and attractive.