Kevin Bronson on December 17th, 2020

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The Lonely Wild played folk-rock with exceptional passion — they were the kind of band whose Satellite residency in 2012 could probably be heard in Hollywood, since their gang harmonies often invited the crowd to be part of the gang.

Largely silent since 2016, having gone on hiatus after releasing their John Vanderslice-produced second album “Chasing White Light” the previous fall, the quintet resurfaces today with the song “Strangers’ Friends.” Recorded a few years ago, the song had a limited release as part of the pre-election fundraiser Playlist for Progress.

“Strangers’ Friends” officially arrives today. And since ’tis the season for nostalgia, there’s a music video to go along with it — a montage of footage and images from the beloved quintet’s five-year life performing, touring and celebrating with friends. It was compiled and edited by multi-instrumentalist Ryan Ross, and it’ll not only make the Lonely Wild’s steadfast L.A. followers miss the band but it rings as poignant in the concert-less desert of 2020.

The song originated in the emotional tug-of-war of tour life, says singer-songwriter Andrew Carroll. “When my son was 2 months old, we were on the road, and while I loved traveling and doing what I loved with people I loved, I felt like I was missing so much, and leaving behind the people that were most important in the world to me,” he explains. “That internal struggle is where ‘Strangers’ Friends’ came from. It’s about leaving our loved ones behind to go on stage and make these intimate connections with strangers.”

Might the Lonely Wild return someday? “Well, we never officially broke up,” says Carroll, who has been working as a composer and this fall released a solo EP, “You Are Here.” “We had actually talked about putting together a show before the pandemic hit, so I’m hopeful we’ll regroup and maybe even put out another record sometime. Though, we have no immediate plans.”

||| Watch: The video for “Strangers’ Friends”