Bear Rinehart unveiled Wilder Woods in 2019, releasing a neo-soul record that focused on new beginnings: the advent of fatherhood, the launch of his solo career, and the updated branding of a longtime bandleader who\’d decided to expand his reach. With FEVER / SKY, he widens Wilder Woods\’ cinematic sound while celebrating the parts of himself that made him most proud. It\’s a personal, poignant record whose songs focus not upon the horizon ahead, but upon the road itself, stacked high with heartland hooks, western wooziness, southern soul, and festival-worthy anthems.\”I\’ve been in a band for 20 years, and a band is a democracy where you make decisions together,\” explains Rinehart, who also fronts the Grammynominated, chart- topping band NEEDTOBREATHE. \”Wilder Woods is a different outlet. I\’m giving myself the freedom to do what I want to do and say what I want to say. This isn\’t the kind of journey where I\’m worried about the places I\’m headed or the places I\’ve left; it\’s a journey where I\’m just happy to be in the car, driving forward.\”