By Jae-Ha Kim
Los Angeles Times
August 28, 2018
Formerly part of Emblem3, Wesley Stromberg has reinvented himself as a solo artist known simply as WESLEY. A resident of Valencia, California, his singles include, “Remedy,” “1000 Ways” and “One Shot.” “My first trip as a child was a road trip with my grandparents to Whistler Mountain in Canada,” says WESLEY, 24. “This trip was magical. I went snowboarding for the first time and saw a giant mountain for the first time. It was breathtaking. Mountains are so incredibly powerful just towering over you.” For his updated tour dates, check out the Way Up Tour. Fans may stay in touch with him on Twitter and Instagram.
Q. Where is the best place you’ve seen live music?
A. I have countless memories from them all, but if I must choose one that stands out, it’s the Gorge Amphitheatre in Washington. It’s this massive stage right on the edge of a 1,000-foot cliff overlooking the Columbia River. The vibe is unreal! And the sunsets are unbelievable. It feels like a concert at the edge of the Grand Canyon. I’ve been to many concerts and festivals there. My first time attending a concert at that venue was Warped Tour in 2009. I was 14. My girlfriend at the time had just turned 16 and just received her driver’s license, so we packed up the truck with all our friends and went and camped out. The entire campground had a massive water balloon fight! That was incredible for a young boy growing up.
Q. Have your travels changed your perceptions about the United States?
A. Absolutely. There is so much to see out there. Sometimes, it seems people in America are living in a box of ignorance. I’ve found that the people who grow up with less have a certain untainted gratitude for life that we take for granted. But America is still beautiful. California is my favorite. It has it all.
Q. What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from your travels?
A. Well, since traveling long distances usually involves flying and flying is the sketchiest, craziest thing ever, my life flashes before my eyes and I have to say a little prayer before takeoff. And in doing that, I’ve learned to just be grateful that I am even here. It’s forced me to be OK with who I am and the life that I’ve lived and if I go unexpectedly, that I’m OK. Just being here at all was worth it. If you have the opportunity to travel, take it!
Q. Where are your favorite weekend getaways?
A. I love road trips! A few hours’ drive to Palm Springs is always nice. Just me and my girl in a hotel, order room service, drink some wine, have some love — it’s the best.
Q. If you’ve ever gone away for the holidays, which was the best trip?
A. The best Christmas trip was a few years ago. I rented a massive mansion cabin in Big Bear, California, and brought my whole family. I’m talking my whole family — immediate, step, boyfriends, girlfriends; even my parents who are divorced each brought their new husband and wife. It was the best! The house had like 10 rooms, three stories, two decks and two hot tubs. We all skied during the day and then had fun family game time all night. One thing I love about my family is we really care about each other. We care to get closer and really get to know each other. When it comes to presents, it’s like we give gifts, but the kind, loving words that go with the gifts are even better. We are a system of inspiration.
Q. What are your favorite cities?
A. Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Chicago, Miami, London, Tokyo, Rio, Perth, Sydney. … I love traveling!
Q. Where have you traveled to that most reminded you of home?
A. Australia. It’s like a combination of California and Canada. It’s clean and spacious like Canada, but hot and desert-like, like California.
Q. Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?
A. Paris, Italy, Greece, Dubai, Thailand.
Q. When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?
A. Depending on where I’m going and for how long, I have to bring my lucky American flag board shorts, mini acoustic guitar, matching Tumi luggage and my laptop with mini Akai MPK beat pad, in case I want to make some beats and my Shure SM7B microphone for cutting vocals on the road.
Q. What would be your dream trip?
A. All my friends and family somewhere tropical in celebration of a number one single, Grammy or massive world tour.
Q. What is your guilty pleasure when you’re on the road?
A. I love room service. I also love trying the local coffee from wherever I’m at. When I was in Ethiopia, I had this amazing espresso that was so incredible. I had like eight cups. I was dangerously wired.
© 2018 JAE-HA KIM
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