A life change: David Wax Museum draws strength from within to create new music, collaborations

David Wax is a day away from driving to the West Coast to begin his tour.

He will begin the trek without his family.

Though, his wife and two children will join him before the start of the tour on Thursday, Feb. 1, in Colorado.

“They are too small to be able to make that road trip,” Wax says. “They will arrive just in time for the tour to begin and then we start our journey.”

Wax is joined in David Wax Museum by his wife Suz Slezak. The band is touring in support of the 2023 album, “You Must Change Your Life.”

David Wax Museum will perform at Tumbleroot Brewery & Distillery at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 5. New Mexico-based band Lone Piñon will open.

A life change: David Wax Museum draws strength from within to create new music, collaborations

“We wanted to play the show in New Mexico because it will give me an opportunity to play with my cousin,” Wax says. “Lone Piñon’s Jason Wax grew up across the street from me in Missouri. He’s played with our band before. He moved to New Mexico and started Lone Piñon. It will be great to share the stage with him.”

Wax says “You Must Change Your Life” was completed before the pandemic.

He and Slezak decided to hold onto the album until they could tour in support of it.

“We sat on the record and waited,” Wax says. “We felt a real creative opening internally in our creative partnership. Having the record done and in our back pocket, I felt so creatively freed up. We have made four records since then. They are all waiting for their time to be released. That’s a perk in having a recording studio in your backyard.”

Wax and Slezak work together to balance their personal and professional life.

“It’s the constant dance of our life,” he says. “How to support each other and how to communicate better to pull this off. We started the band as friends. When it became romantic, it was overlaid on friendship and a positive working relationship. We shared visions of life together with kids on the road and living this creative life together.”

Wax says he is more considerate that the band continues to serve his creative needs, as well as giving the space to his wife to create music.

“During the pandemic, I was able to help Suz to record and release her solo record,” he says. “In the last year, I encouraged Suz to start a substack. She’s an incredible memoirist. As a family, we’ve tried to prioritize people towards that. It’s a much better balance.”

Slezak crafted her NPR-praised solo debut, “Our Wings May Be Featherless,” and initiated what she calls a “rebalancing” of her own creativity.

“We’ve been working together and listening to each other in what we need musically,” Wax says. “Suz is finding a place where she can thrive within the music.”

Wax says the band just mastered a new record last week, and there’s another project Wax and Slezak are working on.

“It’s a new type of collaboration,” Wax says. “We’ve teamed up with another duo and perform around the audience while they are blindfolded. We’re realizing that there are so many ways to express yourself.”