GRAND RAPIDS — KAXE Music and Wild Horses recently brought listeners together for an intimate listening party with a vibe all its own. Attendees got an exclusive early listen along with conversation about writing and producing the new album and touring the country.
Grand Rapids-based folk trio Wild Horses not only talked about the process of the new album The In Between, it was their first listen of the vinyl.
"It's definitely vulnerable to be listening to it in front of all of you," Ariana LaPlant said to the audience, which included family and friends and fans from their hometown.
Hedlund described the evening, "The audience was captivated from start to finish as we collectively listened to the music with a deeper understanding of the songs. The magic of music paired with the patience of being still was alive and well for those of us in the room."
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— Ariana and Jed LaPlant and Landon Pahl of Wild Horses at a listening party for the band's new album The In Between at coHaus Collective on Oct 1, 2026.jpg
Ariana and Jed LaPlant and Landon Pahl of Wild Horses at a listening party for the band's new album "The In Between" at coHaus Collective on Oct. 1, 2026, in Grand Rapids.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— Kari Hedlund interviews Wild Horses at their listening party for the band's new album The In Between at coHaus Collective on Oct 1, 2026.jpg
KAXE Music Director Kari Hedlund interviews Wild Horses at the listening party for the band's new album "The In Between" at coHaus Collective on Oct. 1, 2026, in Grand Rapids.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— Jed LaPlant of Wild Horses holds the vinyl record played at the listening party for the band's new album "The In Between" at coHaus Collective on Oct 1, 2026, in Grand Rapids.jpg
Jed LaPlant of Wild Horses holds the vinyl record played at the listening party for the band's new album "The In Between" at coHaus Collective on Oct. 1, 2026, in Grand Rapids.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— Jed LaPlant of Wild Horses talks about their new album, The In Between at the listening party at coHaus Collective on Oct 1, 2026.jpg
Jed LaPlant of Wild Horses talks about the band's new album "The In Between" at the listening party at coHaus Collective on Oct. 1, 2026, in Grand Rapids.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— Ariana LaPlant of Wild Horses talks about the bands new album during a listening party at coHaus Collective on Oct 1, 2026.jpg
Ariana LaPlant of Wild Horses talks about the band's new album during a listening party at coHaus Collective on Oct. 1, 2026, in Grand Rapids.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— Landon Pahl of Wild Horses talks about their new album, The In Between at the listening party at coHaus Collective on Oct 1, 2026 in Grand Rapids.jpg
Landon Pahl of Wild Horses talks about the band's new album "The In Between" at the listening party at coHaus Collective on Oct. 1, 2026, in Grand Rapids.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— Kari Hedlund interviews Wild Horses at their listening party for the band's new album The In Between at coHaus Collective on Oct 1, 2026.jpg
KAXE Music Director Kari Hedlund interviews Wild Horses at the listening party for the band's new album "The In Between" at coHaus Collective on Oct. 1, 2026, in Grand Rapids.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— Jed and Ariana LaPlant of Wild Horses at a listening party for the band's new album The In Between at coHaus Collective on Oct 1, 2026.jpg
Jed and Ariana LaPlant of Wild Horses at a listening party for the band's new album "The In Between" at coHaus Collective on Oct 1, 2026, in Grand Rapids.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— Kari Hedlund interviews Wild Horses at their listening party for the band's new album The In Between at coHaus Collective on Oct 1, 2026.jpg
KAXE Music Director Kari Hedlund interviews Wild Horses at the listening party for the band's new album "The In Between" at coHaus Collective on Oct. 1, 2026, in Grand Rapids.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— Audience member Max Philbrook applauds during the listening party for Wild Horses' new album The In Between at coHaus Collective on Oct 1, 2026 in Grand Rapids.jpg
Audience member Max Philbrook applauds during the listening party for Wild Horses' new album The In Between at coHaus Collective on Oct 1, 2026 in Grand Rapids
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— Members of the LaPlant family at the listening party for Wild Horses' new album The In Between at coHaus Collective on Oct 1, 2026 in Grand Rapids.jpg
Members of the LaPlant family at the listening party for Wild Horses' new album "The In Between" at coHaus Collective on Oct. 1, 2026, in Grand Rapids.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— Audience members applaud during the listening party for Wild Horses' new album The In Between at coHaus Collective on Oct 1, 2026 in Grand Rapids.jpg
Audience members applaud during the listening party for Wild Horses' new album "The In Between" at coHaus Collective on Oct. 1, 2026, in Grand Rapids.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— Audience members applaud during the listening party for Wild Horses' new album The In Between at coHaus Collective on Oct 1, 2026 in Grand Rapids.jpg
Audience members applaud during the listening party for Wild Horses' new album "The In Between" at coHaus Collective on Oct. 1, 2026, in Grand Rapids.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— Audience members watch from the loft during the listening party for Wild Horses' new album The In Between at coHaus Collective on Oct 1, 2026 in Grand Rapids.jpg
Audience members watch from the loft during the listening party for Wild Horses' new album "The In Between" at coHaus Collective on Oct 1, 2026, in Grand Rapids.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— Kari Hedlund with the members of Wild Horses at their listening party for the band's new album The In Between at coHaus Collective on Oct 1, 2026.jpg
KAXE Music Director Kari Hedlund with the members of Wild Horses at the listening party for the band's new album "The In Between" at coHaus Collective on Oct. 1, 2026, in Grand Rapids.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— Ariana LaPlant of Wild Horses hugs an audience member during a listening party for the band's new album The In Between at coHaus Collective on Oct 1, 2026, in Grands Rapids.jpg
Ariana LaPlant of Wild Horses hugs an audience member during a listening party for the band's new album "The In Between" at coHaus Collective on Oct. 1, 2026, in Grand Rapids.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
On the eve of the album release, the Grand Rapids trio of Jed LaPlant, Ariana LaPlant and Landon Pahl, talked openly about the inspiration behind the collection of songs, and how they have grown as musicians since their debut four years ago, Runaway.
"The audience was captivated from start to finish as we collectively listened to the music with a deeper understanding of the songs. The magic of music paired with the patience of being still was alive and well for those of us in the room."Kari Hedlund, KAXE Music Director
Since many of the songs are personal, Hedlund asked about the idea that life on the road is glitz and glamour.
Jed said, "It's less shiny than it is smoky," in reference to their tour bus, often featured in their social media in need of maintenance.
Lorie Shaull
/
KAXE
Ariana added, "And if it's shiny it's because of the grease on the back of it."
After the night of community, Hedlund said, "The music was beautiful, conversation was generous and forthcoming, and the vibes were high at the KAXE Wild Horses album listening party for The In Between."
Lorie Shaull
/
KAXE
Join us for a rebroadcast of the entire evening at 7 p.m. Tuesday, October 6, 2026 on KAXE.
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