WONDERLOST has always been a boundary-pushing artist, but with The Distant Present, released September 5, 2025, on Good Duck Records, he takes his boldest step yet. Recorded at Coral Star Studios in Coral Bay, St. John, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and produced by acclaimed musician and producer Allen Clapp, this 11-track album is a rare feat: it feels like both a haunting reflection and a hopeful escape. At its heart, the record embodies the paradox of time — a place outside the past, the future, and even the present — and invites listeners into a dreamlike, surreal world where music itself is the only compass.
Previously on Apricot Magazine, we sat down with WONDERLOST for an exclusive interview about the making of the album, and those insights provide a window into the deeply personal philosophy behind it. But The Distant Present also deserves to be heard, felt, and explored on its own terms. This is an album that is less about explanation and more about experience — a theatrical, immersive journey that thrives on its contradictions.
From the first notes of the opening track, “The Distant Present,” the album sets its tone with a swirling sense of mystery, gently pulling the listener into a space where time folds back on itself. WONDERLOST blends influences from decades of writing with fresh bursts of creativity, resulting in a soundscape that feels both lived-in and immediate. The record moves like a tide: sometimes soft and meditative, sometimes jagged and forceful, but always with a sense of flow.
“She’s Like the Weather,” one of the oldest songs to finally find its way onto a studio record, is a standout. Originally conceived in the late 1990s and rarely performed since, the track resurfaces here with a stripped-down arrangement that allows Jackson Kincheloe’s slide guitar work to shine. The absence of drums gives the song a spectral quality, a fragile intensity that makes it one of the most emotionally charged moments on the album. It’s a testament to WONDERLOST’s ability to revisit past material with fresh eyes, proving that songs can evolve over decades before finding their true form.
Elsewhere, the album’s collaborative spirit takes center stage. WONDERLOST has always thrived in community, and here he enlists longtime friends and fellow musicians including Fletcher Kelley, Jalil Jahantab, Aaron Strickland, Broheem, Charlie Fardella, Mark Joseph, Tyler Perrino, and more. These contributions are not mere cameos; they’re the backbone of the record. “Bully Man,” for instance, bristles with energy thanks to tight interplay between horns and rhythm, while “Coral Bay Waltz” feels like an ode to the island life that shaped its creation — understated, reflective, and steeped in the subtle pulse of Caribbean influence.
Production-wise, Allen Clapp’s touch cannot be overstated. Known for his sensitivity to tone and efficiency in the studio, Clapp helped give the record its polished yet organic feel. Every instrument breathes, every layer feels intentional, and nothing is lost in translation. This clarity allows the album’s theatrical arc to fully come through. Tracks like “Yesterday’s Today” and “Inky Blackness” stand as proof of how sharp engineering and empathetic production can turn complex arrangements into something both accessible and evocative.
Lyrically and thematically, the record orbits around the interplay of memory, imagination, and time. While many of the tracks are instrumental or heavily collaborative in mood, there’s a consistent sense of storytelling — a desire to draw listeners into a narrative without relying solely on words. WONDERLOST has described his pursuit of the “distant present” as an almost unreachable state of living fully in the now, and the songs echo that tension: hopeful, grieving, light, and shadow all at once.
Visually, The Distant Present also expands beyond sound. The album artwork and single covers, crafted with Bryan McKinney and Avalene Stone, mirror the music’s otherworldly spirit. McKinney’s background in large-scale sculpture and Avalene’s keen visual sensibility bring a new dimension to the project, reinforcing the idea that WONDERLOST’s art exists across mediums — painting, sculpture, performance, and now, in this case, a fully realized record.
The album’s structure feels almost theatrical, carrying listeners through phases of reflection and release. Tracks like “Third Like” and “Nothing But Time” allow for moments of stillness and meditation, while “Let It Grow” builds toward something more expansive and cathartic. By the time the final notes of “Inky Blackness” fade, the listener has been transported through a sonic narrative that is as much about feeling as it is about sound.
What makes The Distant Present stand out in WONDERLOST’s catalog is its embrace of both the old and the new. His earlier works leaned heavily into electronic instrumentals, focused on texture and experimentation. This album, while no less experimental, feels more grounded in organic instrumentation, lyrical storytelling, and the voices of his collaborators. It marks not just an evolution, but also a consolidation — a place where years of exploration finally coalesce into something cohesive and powerful.
The record also points toward the future. WONDERLOST has hinted at upcoming projects, including new music with his psychedelic rock band Mother Goat and plans for a fourth solo album in 2027. If The Distant Present is any indication, these next steps will continue to push the boundaries of sound while staying rooted in the emotional honesty that defines his work.
Ultimately, The Distant Present is more than just an album. It’s an invitation to step outside the relentless noise of reality and enter a space where time bends, memories resurface, and imagination reigns. It’s a body of work that asks listeners to slow down, to feel, and to find beauty in the paradox of being both nowhere and everywhere at once.
WONDERLOST has created something rare: an album that lingers, that unfolds differently with each listen, and that speaks to the universal desire to escape — not just into music, but into something beyond time itself. It’s haunting, it’s hopeful, and it’s one of the most compelling releases of 2025.
The Distant Present is available now on Good Duck Records. Follow WONDERLOST on streaming platforms and social media to experience the full journey — and revisit our previous Apricot Magazine interview for even deeper insights into the making of this remarkable record.
