Wotts have almost become a household name in our publication, as we have been obsessively following the Canadian duo over the past few years. Well, 2026 is the year when everything changes: Wotts will now become a solo project, with Rick taking a step back from the band to focus on his personal life, and Jay steering the ship forward and developing his own artistic journey, still under the Wotts branding. Before the transition, the two Canadian talents have been completing a brand new EP, ‘COPE’, unveiling the latest piece of the puzzle with ‘ALOHA!’.
A companion piece to ‘little bug’, ‘terminal’, and ‘he spoke with conviction’, ‘ALOHA!’ reminds us once again of all the best qualities Wotts have put forward throughout the years; from their love for hazy, grainy atmospheres, to the hints of psychedelia and dream pop that have proven to be a constant in their sizeable catalogue.
Intrigued by the EP and the latest single, we caught up with Jay to learn more about the band’s future and the shift into a solo endeavour… Interview below!
Hey Jay, thanks for chatting with us (again)! A lot has happened this year, and this interview gives us the perfect excuse to introduce Wotts as a solo outfit, rather than a duo. Has your bandmate Rick already left the band, as we speak?
Thanks for having me, Gab! Yeah, it’s definitely been a rollercoaster year, but thankfully, stuff seems to be settling a bit. Rick’s two weeks are up, so it’s officially just me on the Wotts clock.
‘ALOHA’ marks your latest release, a luscious, dreamy piece that acts as a closer to ‘COPE’, a four-track EP that’s been in the works for the past few months. Is there a shared message behind the EP?
Absolutely. I wrote a lot of these songs coming out of a pretty dark place in my life. The last EP (“FLANK!”) was about loss, while COPE focuses on life after. Everyone grieves in their own way, but the overall message I tried to convey is: do whatever it takes to get to the next day.
Life is rather funny at times. ‘ALOHA!’ was originally supposed to be the last Wotts song ever, but it’s now more of a stepping stone, a separator, if you will, the end of a chapter. Your press release mentions how difficult it was for you to accept shifting into a solo act. In a way, you are rising to the occasion! Will the project evolve in any meaningful way, musically speaking?
Yeah, life really is funny sometimes. I was convinced the project was done, until all of a sudden it wasn’t. Looking ahead (and this is no slight to Rick or to what we did before), I have a clear vision of what I want the sound to be. I know that may sound weird, but if you’ve followed Wotts’ progression, it kinda hit all over the place, style-wise. Ever since I decided to keep the project going, I’ve become a lot more focused, and I think it’ll show in the music moving forward.
From a songwriting standpoint, will there be any substantial changes? Were lyrical duties shared between you and Rick?
The biggest change will be on the guitar side of things since Rick is a superstar on that front. I’ve been manning the production, keys, bass and vocals these last few years, so some ‘traditional’ Wotts vibes will remain! Guitars will still be part of the process, though, either by me or a trusted, much cooler hired gun.
As a silver lining, this decoupling process, albeit quite emotional for you, will likely provide fertile inspiration for future songs… what would you like to write about next?
Something happier! I’ve spent the last two years writing about loss and grief, and obviously, that can really weigh. I have a bunch of new songs I’m working on right now, and I’m noticing a theme of new beginnings popping up over and over again. That to me reinforces the decision I made to keep going, because deep down I really feel like this is a fresh start.
Let’s get back to ‘COPE’. The EP’s overall character is very much Wotts-like, a triumph of hazy, analogue-coded tones and slightly psychedelic grooves… are there any particular influences behind such a stylistic choice?
I’ve always been into dream pop, but over the last couple of years, I’ve become obsessed. Tame Impala love aside, it’s been a lot of listening to Empire of the Sun, MGMT, Slowdive, Moses Gunn Collective, Cocteau Twins, and so many more. When I listen to it, it takes me away. I couldn’t think of a better style of music to lean on for COPE. Whether it’s the haze that hides the scars or the nostalgia that takes you back to happier days, I thought the genre fit the EP narrative perfectly.
I love the visuals attached to the EP and singles; I have noticed you are working with a fellow Ottawa-based studio… what sort of briefs are you giving them? Any particular idea behind them?
Thank you for saying! I’ve been working with an Ottawa-based outlet called Rainbow Studios. I love them because they’re so accommodating and patient. I’ll usually give them a general idea of what I’m going for ahead of time, but no joke, 60-70% of what we’ve done is improvised based on gut feelings or circumstances the day we shoot. They know how to roll with an organic approach, and they do everything they can to get the vision across.
Lastly, should we keep our eyes peeled for later this year? Or we’ll see you in 2027? 🙂
I’ll be out here in 2026! I don’t think I’ve had so many ideas in the hopper since I’ve started making music. The first ‘new era’ track should be out in June. Super excited to share it and get this new chapter started.