The Chicago pop punk 5-piece embrace nostalgia in their video for new track 'Circa '99'.
Prepare for a flurry of memories of noodling your way around a plastic guitar, frantically trying to line up the green, red, blue and yellow buttons as you try and master solos normally reserved for the likes of Slash or Hendrix. Yes, I’m talking about Guitar Hero.
What has that got to do with pop punk quintet Wilmette? Well, the game features in the video for new track ‘Circa ’99‘- taken from their upcoming debut album ‘Hyperfocused‘ which is out August 4th.
Vocalist Aaron Hailey says:
“Everyone loves a bit of cliché nostalgia, which is why we wrote ‘Circa ’99’. But the funny part is most of the band was born in 97 so we were really only 3″.
OK, now who feels old?
Hailing from the Chicago suburbs, Wilmette combine pop-punk and hardcore with a fresh style that relies on pop hooks, honest lyrics, and strong musicianship. The band’s emphatic debut EP ‘Anxious Body‘ was released in 2019 to much acclaim.
Produced by Seth Henderson (State Champs, Knuckle Puck) ‘Hyperfocused’ will feature more of the riffs and melody of pop punk with the grit and power of hardcore- a solid debut from a band that continue to grow in sound.
In the meantime, get your ears around this new single and bask in the glory days they pay homage to in the video!

Main Photo Credit: Alex Zarek
- No Conviction
- Hyperfocused
- Playing Dead
- I Don’t Even Want To Be Around Anymore
- Circa ’99
- Small Talk
- Everybody Wants Me Dead
- No One Knew
- Sunflower
- Out Of My Hands
Follow Wilmette on Their Socials
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I’m Molly Tie- I Love punk! I play drums (badly), write a lot about punk (not as badly) and I’m particularly interested in issues relating to women in the music scene.