‘I Know Exactly Who I Am’: Wednesday’s Karly Hartzman on ‘Bleeds’ and Why ‘There’s No Such Thing as Selling Out Anymore’

On their powerful new album "Bleeds," the Asheville rock band Wednesday transforms the mundane into the mythic. Frontwoman Karly Hartzman's sharp lyricism finds profound stories in everyday sights, from discarded Four Loko cans to a "pitbull puppy pissing off a balcony"—a chaotic image relayed from her mother, a social worker who witnessed the event. "She saw that in a challenging neighborhood and knew it was exactly the kind of raw scene I'd want to capture," Hartzman explains, highlighting her commitment to unfiltered, observational songwriting.

The record builds on the momentum of their 2023 breakthrough, "Rat Saw God," which cemented the band's status as indie rock standouts. Hartzman draws deeply from her own youth and local folklore to shape what she describes as the quintessential Wednesday sound. This evolution was supported by producer Alex Farrar in a professional studio environment, a significant step up from their earlier lo-fi, four-track recordings. Hartzman affirms, "My identity is fully intact, and the music shows it. I have a very solid understanding of who I am."

Wednesday’s sonic identity is a volatile mix of alternative country and noise rock, a combination that can catch listeners off guard. The album veers from the feedback-heavy intensity of "Wound Up Here" to the gentle country sway of "Elderberry Wine." Hartzman recalls a festival in Portland where a drunk attendee advised her to form two separate bands to keep the styles apart. Her response was characteristically direct: "I told him, 'Please shut up. I don't know who you think you are.' It honestly made me furious." A key element of their abrasive yet melodic texture comes from Xandy Chelmis’s heavily distorted lap steel guitar, which adds a layer of corrosive grit, particularly on the standout track "Townies."

The recording of "Bleeds" was shadowed by a major personal shift for Hartzman. She and guitarist Jake "MJ" Lenderman—her longtime creative and romantic partner, with whom she helped pioneer a dominant 2020s indie subgenre—separated while on tour in Tokyo just before entering the studio. To keep the sessions on track and reassure their bandmates, they initially kept the breakup private. "I didn't want anyone thinking the band was over just because Jake and I split," Hartzman says. "It was crucial to prove we could still work together professionally." Although the album's songs were written before the separation, listeners may detect lyrical hints of a strained relationship. While Lenderman won't be touring, Hartzman confirms "he knows he’s welcome" for future studio projects, and they plan to let their creative partnership evolve naturally.

As Wednesday's audience grows from local fans to an international following, Hartzman is focused on protecting the DIY spirit that grounds the band. She maintains firm boundaries, rejecting collaborations with "huge corporations" and refusing to license songs for pharmaceutical ads. She also voices strong skepticism toward streaming services and AI, stating she would quickly "bandwagon" if a major artist led an exodus from a platform like Spotify—a company whose CEO has faced criticism for investing in military AI technology. An industry analyst, Dr. Lena Vance, recently noted, "The financial strain on mid-level artists is redefining the idea of 'selling out,' turning survival strategies into necessities rather than choices." Hartzman echoes this, observing that the concept is now largely outdated because "artists are having to try so hard just to survive. I think people understand that." For her, meaningful success is tied to community: "Financial stability matters because it lets you reinvest in your circle. If you make it, you lift other people up and help raise up your whole community."