Mully & Sculder are an extraordinarily gifted, powerful and unique duo. The band consists of the wildly musically well suited Beau Wheeler on vocals, guitar, keyboards, programming and drums & Aaron Trory on vocals, bass, guitar and keyboard. They boldly explore the depths of synth-pop and new wave with a contemporary flare. Never forgetting to have fun while exploring the dark depths of the human condition, they are inspired by the creepy yet comforting nature of the cult classic X Files, which was filmed in their hometown of Vancouver, Canada. They are influenced by the infectious nature of Depeche Mode, the earnest romantic longing of The Cure and the bold experimental nature of David Bowie. They are pumping new life into an otherwise lost art of a genre, often reserved for underground warehouse parties in Berlin.
Downtown Vancouver’s gleaming skyscrapers are surrounded by unspoiled forests and majestic mountain peaks. That juxtaposition is a good metaphor for Mully & Sculder’s sound, which blends the synthetic sounds of keyboards and programmed beats with a very human heart and soul. The city simultaneously eerie yet mesmerizing, an elusive feeling that is palpable in their sound.
Both prolific solo artists, Wheeler and Trory have released three songs together as Mully & Sculder. The first of these, “Like Animals”, is a throbbing slice of dark neo-new wave, buoyed by the duo’s heaven-sent vocal harmonies. The band show a suitably moody video for the song in the iconic and usually forbidden British Columbia Sugar Refinery—a century-old industrial building.
Mully & Sculder followed that up with “Billboards”, an infectious synth-pop concoction brewed up with ACTORS mastermind Jason Corbett (Art d'Ecco, Mesa Luna, The Gathering) at his Jacknife Sound studio, coincidentally located mere blocks away from the Sugar Refinery. Mike Usinger, the Music Editor of Vancouver news-and-entertainment weekly the Georgia Straight, wrote a rave review of the track, which he nominated as “Vancouver’s new official anthem”.
Their third single release, "The Moon", is a moody ballad with an air of melancholy. The song explores the feelings of alienation, isolation, and disconnection; within ourselves and with those around us; that can occur after going through a major life change while living in a technologically advanced society. The track consoles the listener with this devastatingly relatable experience.
November 2020 saw the release of their new single, “Heartbreaking”. The song's haunting undertones mirror the themes explored within; the unknown landscape of the dating world and the cycle of how we pursue things we’re attracted to that are also capable of harming us.
That’s the thing about Mully & Sculder, they remind us we are not alone in our dizzying array of emotions that can only be explained through song. They have captured the essence of the human experience in the form of bone rattling music. Their compatibility, talent and innovation is instantly addictive. Stay tuned for all that this dynamic duo has to offer.