Between everybody’s favorite TV goth girl and the beloved mid-workweek benchmark, the word “Wednesday” carries some pretty positive connotations. And even on “new music Friday”, every day of the week is Wednesday in one way or another for Houston-raised, Austin-based singer-guitarist Will Derden.

See, this young up-and-comer’s been crafting his own unique style of indie and folk since the start of the pandemic, Derden’s senior year in high school. Now that he’s officially into his early twenties and quarantine conditions have been largely lifted, the world is Derden’s oyster, and he’s been reaping some impressive pearls with his project Wednesday Kid. Clearly comfortable in both a full band and solo setting, it’s pretty interesting to track Derden’s quick progression as a songwriter when scrolling through Wednesday Kid’s Instagram feed. And we already got a sense of that crazy good range on Wednesday Kid’s debut five-song EP from last March, Elephant.

But today Wednesday Kid’s returned with something that hits a little harder than Elephant‘s minimalist folk-pop. The pairing of folksy vocals and jangly acoustic guitar is still intact, but now Derden shifts Wednesday Kid’s dynamics into a higher gear with a fresh foray into indie rock, “Like You Are”. We’re picking up strong Van Morrison vibes on this one, albeit with a sunny Central Texas twist that sounds good any day of the year.