Formation and Ganglion Reef (2013–2014) Prior to forming Wand, vocalist and guitarist Cory Hanson performed under the moniker W.H.I.T.E. Hanson also played guitar with
Mikal Cronin, and in the bands
together PANGEA, and
Meatbodies. Working on the songs that would become the band's debut album,
Ganglion Reef, Hanson subsequently re-recorded his material after forming Wand with former
art school classmates Lee Landey and Evan Burrows: "[I] found a band, and we re-recorded everything and then just started playing... really intensely." Regarding the band's name, Hanson noted: "We wanted a name that was kind of empty, like a
wand is more of an idea, like a magical tool; it's a means, a vessel to execute a superhuman thing." Wand released the album on fellow-
garage rock act
Ty Segall's
Drag City imprint, God? Records, and subsequently supported him on tour. Regarding the experience, Hanson stated: "[The tour] was great, it was a little bit crazy for us because we've never toured before. And the turnout—it was just a lot of people, and we were all surprised by how warmly received, how receptive everyone was to hearing us play because no one had ever heard us before. And Ty's super fun to tour with." The band was subsequently referred to as a three-piece, with Martens remaining absent from press photographs. Regarding a potential fourth album, Hanson noted: "I think we're a little more interested in having some more creative elbow room to push out something that feels like the right next step, rather than having this consistent output of record, tour, record, tour. Having a little bit more time to work could only benefit the way that we think about making records at this point." In 2016, the band added guitarist Robert Cody and keyboardist Sofia Arreguin to their core line-up.
Plum and Perfume (2017–2018) On June 27, 2017, a video for the song "Plum" was released on the
Drag City YouTube channel. A music video for the track "Bee Karma" was also released on August 10, 2017, directed by Hanson, utilising
Super 8 film and starring his brother Casey. The album
Plum was subsequently released on September 22, 2017. On February 27, 2018, a day after the band concluded their
Plum tour, Cory Hanson announced on his Instagram that Wand would be releasing a thirty-minute EP entitled
Perfume on May 25, 2018. A single song, "The Gift", was released on the day of the announcement.
Laughing Matter and Spiders in the Rain (2019–2024) Wand released their fifth album,
Laughing Matter, on April 19, 2019. The album received positive reviews from both
Pitchfork and
Stereogum. Live album
Spiders in the Rain followed in 2022.
Vertigo (2024–present) Vertigo was released in 2024. ==Side projects==