The Wants confront legacy, isolation, and decay on visceral new single ‘Disposable Man’

Alongside the release of their sophomore album ‘Bastard’, New York City’s The Wants unveil ‘Disposable Man’, a stark and emotionally charged focus track that marks the band’s most vulnerable statement yet.

Written in the wake of the sudden and solitary death of frontman Madison Velding-VanDam’s estranged father, ‘Disposable Man’ is a confrontation with grief, masculinity, and the ghosts we inherit. The track fuses the cold, controlled edge of ’80s electronic minimalism with the defiant spirit of post-punk, balancing mechanical precision with raw, human ache.

Velding-VanDam’s lyrics carry the weight of unresolved questions and uncomfortable inheritance. “He was respected in certain ways, but not well-liked,” he shares. “Following his death, I learned how much of his life was defined by solitude, addiction, and quiet self-destruction. In making this album, I realized how much of that I carry in me, too.”