The Wombats are Getting Ready for Their Next Era While Touring the USA

This is anything but a greek tragedy!

For over 15 years now, The Wombats have entertained audiences all around the world.

Originating from Liverpool, many of the band's hit songs like "Turn," "Moving to New York," "Let's Dance to Joy Division," and "Greek Tragedy" have taken them to stages across the globe.

Back in 2016, The Wombats performed at Life is Beautiful in Las Vegas. Seven years later, the band is making their grand return to Sin City for another set at the iconic festival.

The band's drummer, Dan Haggis, caught up with PRIDE ahead of their performance at the tenth anniversary of the Life is Beautiful festival.

PRIDE: I'm so excited that you guys are back for Life is Beautiful. You killed it back in 2016, so how excited are you to be back to actually be part of the lineup this year?

Dan Haggis: The last time we did it, I have to say, was one of the top five days of my whole life and like, no exaggeration. So we woke up in the morning, went out early, did a skydive over the desert, which was the first time and only time I've jumped out of a plane, which was cool. It was like the scariest but most amazing experience.

Then, we went and did the show, went out, had dinner, went in the casino, ended up back in a friend's hotel room till like seven in the morning watching the sun come up. It was just 24 hours! The festival itself was so fun and the crowds were awesome. It was one of those special days. So I'm very excited to be back.

That is so awesome. It sounds like you guys have a good time when you're out on tour!

Always. You got to make the most of every day. I do.

I've been lucky enough to see you guys perform, but for people who haven't seen you, what are they in store for when they get to see you live?

It's always a ton of energy. It's a life-affirming experience with a bit of darkness thrown in for good measure. Maybe some dancing wombats will make an appearance, which I mean considering it's Vegas, we probably should make sure we have that. It's just fun and honest music.

Vegas is just one of the dates as part of your tour across the USA. How exciting has it been to see all your fans on this side of the pond?

There is something special about coming over here for us. We were kids growing up in Liverpool and going on tour in America, like for a band from Liverpool, was like the Holy Grail. It's so exciting visually to see everything and all the people are just so friendly and welcoming in our experience. The last time we played in the States was in January 2022, and it was just after the pandemic, so it was a different experience. It's so nice to be back and it's a good way to round off this last album. After this, we're going to be jumping head first into album six. It's a nice one to finish with.

I love that. That's also the perfect segue. What's next for you as you embark on a new era with your music?

We've started the writing process already. We've got a few songs done and we're just on a demo stage, but we go straight from New York at the end of this tour to Australia and do some festivals. For the first time, we're doing some writing and recording in Australia and on tour, which is going to be fun. The main thing that we're doing is going to be creating, writing, recording, and exploring all the different sounds. It's still one of the best experiences in my life.

Are there any particular themes that you've jumped into yet? Or are you just focusing on the early stages and seeing where this album might take you?

We've been doing lots of jams and it's all come out quite different. It's too early to say!

Totally makes sense. I want to circle back to Life is Beautiful. It's the 10th anniversary this year and we know you guys have pulled out some costumes in the past. Are there any costumes that you're planning on doing this time around?

The giant Wombats are going to have to come out. We're up for anything! In the UK, you know, you go to Glastonbury and there's the most random costumes ever. I love the fact that I often go to these places and I somehow end up in a pineapple leotard with glitter all over my face. I can't even remember how I ended up in that outfit! It's one of the fun things in life. People just let their inhibitions go and it's occasions to remember.

I love it. It's safe to say life is truly beautiful, especially at these festivals. In your opinion, how would you say life is beautiful?

That's a good one. I would say life is beautiful in the in the small little moments. I had a little baby a year ago and it's becoming very much about those tiny little nuances throughout the day of, you know, new sounds or little moments of like a euphoria that you feel. It's those little moments that keep you going. So I would say the little microscopic details that we all take for granted.

Catch The Wombats at Life is Beautiful on the Rolling Stone Stage tomorrow night at 10:45pm.