Getting Up and Going Out with Wing!

Photo by Daria Slikker

There is something unmistakably cinematic about wing!'s music. Whether it's the restless momentum of his latest single, 'GET UP AND GO OUT', or the introspective pull of earlier releases like 'Pack It In' – which has since amassed over 80,000 Spotify streams – his songs feel like the soundtrack to life unfolding across sprawling city streets. It's fitting, then, that his music has found listeners everywhere from London and New York to Los Angeles and Melbourne.

Fronted by Adam Swan alongside Joe Killick on drums and Kai Charlton on bass, wing! approaches songwriting with the long game in mind. Inspired by artists whose discographies chart a lifetime of creative evolution, from Madlib and Miles Davis to Kate Bush and Outkast, the band are less interested in chasing moments than building a catalogue that grows alongside them. Fresh from a residency at South London's Avalon Café and with more live dates on the horizon, Wing! sat down to discuss artistic growth, musical influences, dream collaborations, and why Four In A Bed unexpectedly plays a part in the creative process.

For people who are just discovering wing!, how would you introduce yourself and the sound you’re creating?

My name is Adam and I am a producer from Bexleyheath who goes by the name ‘wing!’. I make instrumental music that is rooted in hip-hop and sample based beatmaking, but draws on a whole bunch of other stuff from Jazz/Trip Hop/Ambient/ Post Rock/Jungle etc. Just all the stuff I love I guess. 

You front the live shows alongside Joe Killick on drums and Kai Charlton on bass – how did the three of you come together?

Yes! I was going through a period of wanting to start playing the music I was making live, so I had a period of having quite a few sessions with different musicians just to sorta try stuff. Eventually I connected with Joe through my friend Anders, who worked at the same coffee shop as me. It was around the time I made my first EP ‘MISSED IT JUST THE ONCE’ and it was just complete luck to find a drummer that encapsulated every part of the music so well, plus was actually interested in playing together again haha. Joe went to BIMM university with Kai so they knew each other and were playing together already, so when we were trying to bring someone in to play bass it made sense to see if he was down. Kai was also at the first show at the Windmill where it was just me and Joe playing with no bass, so it was meant to be I think.

Your music has a really cinematic quality to it, almost like it could soundtrack a late-night city scene. Is there a film you could see your music in? 

I love the film Night on Earth a lot and picture the part where it’s set in Helsinki quite a bit when I’m making stuff. There’s like a soft blue hue all around that’s just really beautiful. The same goes for films by Wong Kar Wai – that’s definitely a huge influence. I’d love to do something for a film like Perfect Days so much. 

Photo by Daria Slikker

You’ve talked about being inspired by artists who constantly evolve and build a body of work that reflects their lives. How important is growth and experimentation to you when creating new music?

That’s like the whole thing to me I think. That’s probably what I love more than anything. Getting to build a discography that maps out your life, experiences and the things you were into at the time to me is more exciting than anything. Being able to keep the curiosity it takes to continue learning and make something that excites you without thinking about anything you might have made previously. I feel like for life in general that’s just the case. You’re constantly growing, maturing and getting into new things and I find it really cool when someone can document that journey through music. 

Your 2025 single ‘Pack It In’ has reached over 80K streams on Spotify. What was that song’s journey like from creation to seeing people connect with it?

That’s pretty cool. I remember initially making the first section of the song, with the drums and flute, just at home on the kitchen table. When I made the second half that’s when I had the thought of “this would be amazing live!!” which is something I had never thought before. I feel like that’s the very first track where I made something that started to feel like I was living inside of it and encapsulated all my influences in a way that felt so natural. Releasing it was not even on the cards really when I made it, cause all that stuff was just so far away. It’s really cool to have it out in the world. 

What inspired your latest release ‘GET UP AND GO OUT’, and how does it represent where wing! is right now?

‘GET UP AND GO OUT’ to me is like a new life, clawing your way out of something and coming out with a real sense of freedom. Which I guess pretty much represents where I am now.

You’ve got a run of shows coming up, including your last Avalon Cafe residency in South London on the 24th of June and Rotterdam later this year. What do you enjoy most about bringing your music to a live audience?

I love getting to play the tracks through with Joe and Kai really, it’s just so fun to see how they interpret it and breathe new life into the songs. I put so much into making the songs that stripping them back and sending them out into both a band context and in front of people feels quite refreshing. Getting to see how people react to it as well is pretty great, it’s just so much fun all around I can’t lie haha. 

You’ve previously said Black Thought would be someone you’d love to collaborate with. What do you think you’d create together?

I don’t actually even know. ‘Cheat Codes’ is maybe one of my favourite albums ever, Danger Mouse’s production all over that album is mind-blowing and a huge influence on me. I would love to just make a load of beats and see what happens.  Listen to wing! on Spotify, SoundCloud and Apple Music and follow them on Instagram.