Wild Yaks

Playing a rough-and-ready fusion of punk rock and big-city folk reinforced with passionate vocals (often delivered in unison by the full membership), Wild Yaks were formed in the fall of 2007 in Brooklyn, New York by singer and guitarist Rob Bryn and drummer and vocalist Martin Cartagena. While Bryn and Cartagena have been constants throughout the group's history, many additional players made their way through the group in its first few years, including Will Bates, Sean Kennerly, and Chris Parachin. But Wild Yaks settled on a core lineup of Bryn, Cartagena, and bassist and singer Dan Scinta by the time they cut their debut EP, Ten Ships (Don't Die Yet); guitarist Zack Davis also sat in on the sessions. In June 2010, Bryn announced that Wild Yaks were breaking up, but by early 2011 the group was back in business, with a new bassist and singer, Jose Aybar, and the addition of a fourth member, guitarist and singer Hunter Simpson. (A third guitarist, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, also tagged along for some live shows.) In November 2012, Wild Yaks released their first full-length album, Million Years, and the band hit the road in support. In May 2013, Wild Yaks officially became TV stars when they were featured in an episode of the long-running crime drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, playing a band doing a show at a Brooklyn warehouse when a young woman is assaulted. In 2014, Simpson amicably departed to concentrate on another band, Daytona, though after quitting Wild Yaks he still performed live with them when his schedule allowed. In June 2015, the second album from the group, titled Rejoice! God Loves Wild Yaks, was released. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi