the wheel workers
Photo by Daniel Jackson
“Morning Song” is a new track from Houston-based band The Wheel Workers. The single comes via their new album, Harbor, and recalls the classic guitar-driven rock of Sonic Youth and R.E.M. with an added contemporary psych-friendly punch.
Sonically “Day After Day” is shape shifting beauty, like something Porcupine Tree might have cooked up after sharing one to many beers with Frank Black and the Pixies. Much like those prog-punk compadres, Higginbotham — with the help of his fellow Wheel Workers, guitarist Craig Wilkins, keyboardist and singer Erin Rodgers, bassist Zeek Garcia, and drummer Kevin Radomski — will more often than not pull the proverbial rug out from under the listener, though always at the service of the song. Toward the final climax of “Day After Day,” you can feel Higginbotham’s anger at his own sense of resignation rise as he howls, “I’ve trained my heart to let go / day after day . . .” over pounding caveman-like groove that finally hits a wall of squelching synths.
“[T]heir latest single, “Suck It Up,” [is] an intense punk rock track with buzzsaw guitars, screaming synthesizers, and just a touch of surf rock that echoes with influences such as the Pixies, the Stooges, and the Dead Kennedys. The song is full of ferocious joyful chaos, catchy melodies and a badass hook that will stick to your brain for days.
The Wheel Workers’ new single “S.O.S.” is an "upbeat, synth-driven track" that "recalls Flaming Lips or Stereolab" and "is timely and thought-provoking."
- Jesse Sendejas, Houston Press
“White Lies/All My Fault, the new split single from Houston-based band The Wheel Workers—may be a pair of songs aimed straight at Donald Trump and the 2016 election, but musically and lyrically, it extends far beyond the political heat of the moment."
- Alex McLevy, The A.V. Club
"They are simultaneously brilliant and down-to-earth, sincerely progressive and catchy as hell, that rare band that can incorporate thoughtful politics into music while keeping things fun and engaging...The Wheel Workers are freaking awesome, and [with Citizens] they’ve gone a very different direction from the path they marched down last time. And it’s good. Oh, is it good." - Jeremy Hart, Space City Rock
"On their third full-length album, Citizens .... is Higginbotham's best and most fully realized set of songs to date." - Chris Gray, Houston Press
"Loving our latest track premiere ["Yodel" by] Houston's brightest hope. Damn. Seriously righteous." - BLURT
"if you happened to miss when I said that this record was top notch, then I’ll just say again that it’s a true masterpiece.." - David Garrick, Free Press Houston
VIDEO
wheel workers Tour
Press
Photo by Daniel Jackson
BIO:
The Wheel Workers can be described as less of a singular band and more of a Texas-based underground indie music collective that spans two decades and more than 15 contributing members.
The group is currently composed of lead singer, guitarist, keyboardist, violinist Steven Higginbotham (the longest standing member and group founder), guitarist and keyboardist Craig Wilkins, keyboardist and singer Erin Rodgers, bassist Zeek Garcia and drummer Kevin Radomski.
Their latest release, Live from the Attic (2026), captures the band performing live in their Houston rehearsal space—the attic where many of their songs are written and developed. Recorded live, the EP highlights the raw, immediate energy of the band playing together in the room, with each track accompanied by a corresponding live performance video available on YouTube. Serving as both a standalone release and a bridge to their upcoming full-length album One More Thing To Say (to be released October 2026), the project offers an intimate, unfiltered look at the band’s current sound.
To date, the group has released seven albums and a live EP, earning eight Houston Press Music Awards nominations along the way. Their work has been featured by The A.V. Club, and the band has performed on Austin’s iconic freeform radio show Eklektikos on KUT. Their previous album, Harbor (2022), spent more than three weeks on the NACC Top 200 college radio charts, rising to number five on the SubModern chart.
Harbor was recorded over the span of three years—interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and Higginbotham’s time in law school—in his home recording studio. It also followed a pivotal moment in his life, when he fractured his larynx and feared he would never sing again. After years of speech therapy and tailored voice training, Higginbotham returned with renewed vocal strength, a resilience reflected in the emotional depth of the record. The album was produced and mixed by longtime collaborator Dan Workman (Beyoncé, Lyle Lovett, ZZ Top), helping shape a sound defined by fuzzy guitars, layered synthesizers and an eclectic indie rock sensibility.
With their recent releases, the group continues to explore deeply personal and socially conscious themes, examining how individuals endure and overcome personal, social and political trauma, and how connection and collaboration can provide a path forward.
The band originally got its start in Austin, Texas in the early 2000s (then known as The Wheel Works). Led by songwriter, singer, lyricist and frontman Steven Higginbotham, alongside Giuseppe Ponti (bass), Nathan Maness (drums), and Chris Maness and Chad Fontenot (guitars), the group spent its early years living together in a house on Houston Street, recording music that John Aielli of KUT’s Eklektikos described as “truly eclectic.” Featuring violin and keyboards alongside traditional rock instrumentation, the band moved fluidly between catchy indie rock and introspective acoustic work on their 2003 debut. They expanded their sonic scope further with 2004’s How to Fly a Washing Machine, an album of radical post-rock improvisations recorded in their home studio.
Following the original lineup’s dissolution in 2005, Higginbotham relocated to Houston, TX, where the project evolved and expanded. After a period of reconfiguration, The Wheel Workers resumed activity with the release of Unite (2010), marking the beginning of a longstanding creative partnership with acclaimed Houston producer Dan Workman. Workman would go on to mix the band’s next three albums: Past to Present (2013), Citizens (2015)—called “a true masterpiece” by Free Press Houston—and Post-Truth (2018). The latter’s opening track, “White Lies,” premiered on The A.V. Club, which praised it as “hard-charging…successful political art [that] foregrounds the artistry… [and] extends far beyond the political heat of the moment.”
Over the years, The Wheel Workers have toured nationally, played festivals including Milwaukee’s Summerfest and Houston’s Free Press Summerfest, and shared stages with artists such as The Flaming Lips and Phantogram. They have also opened for Trail of Dead, Best Coast, Elf Power, and Thao and the Get Down Stay Down, building a reputation for dynamic and compelling live performances.
With a career spanning more than two decades, The Wheel Workers continue to evolve while maintaining a distinct voice rooted in lyrical depth and sonic exploration. With Live from the Attic, the band returns to its origins—songs taking shape in a shared space—while offering listeners an immediate and immersive entry point into their current work. Fans, new and old, will find something relatable, raw and real in their latest release, all while experiencing the energy that has defined the band for years.
To learn more about The Wheel Workers, please see here. Follow The Wheel Workers on Spotify, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Bandcamp and YouTube.
PRESS QUOTES:
“An excellent new album... Melodies that get deep into the folds of your brain.”
— Houston Chronicle
“Soaring guitar solos and dramatic choruses.”
“Reminiscent of Devo, Pixies, Dead Kennedys and The Clash. There’s no denying the eclecticism and idiosyncrasies.”
— KUTX, Austin
“Sincerely progressive and catchy as hell.”
“Sociopolitical consciousness with a memorable hook.”
“A true masterpiece.”
— Free Press Houston
“New Wave synth stylings meet sharp lyrics.”
“The new split single from Houston-based band The Wheel Workers may be a pair of songs aimed straight at Donald Trump and the 2016 election, but musically and lyrically, it extends far beyond the political heat of the moment.”
“The vocals are totally out-of-this-world good. This is one of those cases where the band is doing everything right.”
— Babysue
“Painfully catchy.”
— MAGNET
“Houston’s brightest hope. Damn. Seriously righteous.”
— BLURT
ASSETS:
The Wheel Workers (L-R): Kevin Radomski, Erin Rodgers, Steven Higginbotham, Craig Wilkins, Zeek Garcia.
Photo Credit: Daniel Jackson. Click for hi-res.
