Nine years after their last album, The Wallflowers are back with Exit Wounds, a record that finds Jakob Dylan reflecting on politics, anxieties, and the ghosts of his heroes. If you’re wondering whether the band’s return would sound familiar or fresh, the answer is both — a sonic extension of what’s come before but punctuated by the raw uncertainties of our time. And, oh yeah, there’s a heavy dose of Tom Petty in there too.
As Dylan tells Kyle Meredith, there was no grand design to the hiatus — just life getting in the way. “You’ve got to go away sometimes so they’ll miss you,” he shrugs. With Exit Wounds, he doesn’t dwell on the chaos of the last few years, but it’s impossible to keep it out entirely. “You write about what you know,” he admits. “The anxiety seeps in, like tree rings.”
The single “Roots and Wings” walks the line between autobiography and abstraction. Dylan hints that some songs could be read as reflections on being a musician or the weary life of a touring artist. He doesn’t mind if fans take creative liberties with their interpretations. “You can wrap up songs in relationships,” he says, “but the ‘I’ isn’t always me. The ‘you’ isn’t always you.”
If there’s one figure looming large over Exit Wounds, it’s Tom Petty. Dylan was getting to know Petty more deeply before his passing, and the influence is unmistakable on tracks like “Who’s That Man Walking ‘Round My Garden.” It’s a Petty-esque romp that could’ve landed on Full Moon Fever. Dylan even snuck in a nod with the line “long after dark” — a wink to his favorite Petty album.
“Tom could say so much with so few words,” Dylan muses. “He found gold in plain sight.”
Petty wasn’t just a musical inspiration; he also featured in Dylan’s 2018 documentary Echo in the Canyon. The film delved into the rich creative stew of late-’60s Laurel Canyon, but it frustrated some who expected a comprehensive history lesson. “That’s Ken Burns’ job,” Dylan laughs. “We made a movie about one year of bands. Some people missed that.”
Would he tackle another documentary? Maybe. “It took me out of making records for a few years, though. There’s no script. It becomes something different every few months.”
Speaking of echoes, 2021 marks the 25th anniversary of Bringing Down the Horse and its anthemic hit “One Headlight.” That line, “I ain’t changed, but I know I ain’t the same,” still hits home for Dylan. “I don’t think I’ve changed, but I must have,” he admits. “Change happens in micro-steps.”
Yet he bristles at artists who refuse to play their hits. “Sometimes you just need to shut up and play it. Your fans love it, you wrote it, and there’s magic in there.”
Exit Wounds isn’t just a reunion; it’s a statement of purpose. The Wallflowers have weathered rotating members, shifting tastes, and an ever-changing industry. Dylan doesn’t churn out songs like an assembly line, preferring to wait until inspiration strikes. “I write records, not just songs,” he says. “I wish I made more, but I also wish some people made less.”
The road ahead isn’t certain. Touring plans are in limbo, and Dylan is just as confused as the rest of us. “It’s disappointing, but we’ll figure something out.”
Until then, Exit Wounds stands as a testament to perseverance — a record that reminds us that sometimes you have to go away to come back stronger, even if the wounds are still fresh.
Listen to the full interview above and then check out the video below.
And enjoy this older interview from 2013:
