If we are to take New Musical Express’ (NME) word for it, Wesleyan bands are blowing the fuck up (see Rob Wohl’s article on page #). The latest addition to the University’s growing pantheon of Brooklyn it-bands is Red Wire Black Wire (RWBW), an electro-pop quintet comprising (mostly) recent grads: Doug P. Walters ’08 on lead vocals and synth; Zac Meyer ’08 on guitar, bass and vocals; Jon Sirlin ’08 on guitar and vocals; Jocelyn Bonadio ’07 on synth and tambo and Dave Snydacker ’09 on drums. As with forerunners like MGMT and Bear Hands, RWBW have begun rapidly upping their indie-darling status since their recent move to Brooklyn, earning lots of heavily hyphenated praise from publications like NME, Q Magazine and some dude who thought they sounded like James Bond (see the band’s Myspace for details — though it omits what is perhaps the most emblematic description of this ilk, an article about the band’s recent gig at Williamsburg’s landmark Union Pool entitled: “Red Wire Black Wire to Play Sad Dance Music in Brooklyn”).
For anyone who’s been here for more than a year, RWBW’s melancholy but intensely catchy variety of synth-infused electro-pop should sound familiar — they’ve been around since 2006, tearing it up, seemingly every other weekend, at Westco, Eclectic or, anomalously, the Bayit. Tonight, the band will return to headline a homecoming show at Eclectic with Snakes Say Hisss!, Hume and Boogie Boarder. I caught up with RWBW frontman Walters via e-mail to talk about the Brooklyn scene, sandwiches and why exactly Wesleyan rocks so hard.
Liz Tung (LT): RWBW was a big presence in the Wesleyan music scene for a while, but for people who don’t know, how long has the band been around, and how did you form?
Doug Powers Walters (DPW): I recorded an EP in my basement over the bleak winter break of ’06 after discovering the awful truth that lies in the aphorism, “Hall booty is bad booty.” I came back and recruited the original lineup just in time to play at the battle of the bands.
LT: How did you come up with your name? Is it some kind of coded hat-tip to Wesleyan pride, or is the color scheme completely incidental?
DPW: The name has nothing to do with Wesleyan. I didn’t even realize the connection until a few months after we had been playing together and then I felt weird about it. The original intent was a bomb diffusion idea or something like that. A lot of people ask if it’s a reference to Dismemberment Plan, which it is not, even though they’re a good band and all.
LT: How has moving to Brooklyn changed your approach to music or business? Has being around so many other artists in such a competitive atmosphere inspired you to do new things? Or just crushed your soul?
DPW: Brooklyn is definitely a bigger pond. It can be discouraging at times, but I think we’re thriving on the competitive (cooperative?) atmosphere thus far. Shit is just so expensive here, though. Wesleyan’s free practice space was very useful.
LT: What has it been like playing at popular Brooklyn spots like Union Pool as opposed to, say, Eclectic or Westco?
DPW: Wesleyan gets down. We’re very excited for our show on Friday. Playing in Brooklyn definitely has its charm as well. We played a super-drunk show last week at Death By Audio that was really fun. Zac fell on his amp and played half the song lying on his amp while the reverb springs made this crazy noise. I almost dropped my synth off the stage while dancing around with it like an idiot. I think we made it out of the place with all our gear and bodies intact, though.
LT: What do you think it is about Wesleyan that has allowed it to pump out so many great bands within the last four or five years?
DPW: I remember living in Westco and being able to borrow a guitar from almost everyone in the damn place. You can accidentally start a band by walking to the bathroom. I think it has something to do with that vibe. People are also taking shit more seriously because there are bands around that are doing well.
LT: Who would you cite as your top five musical influences?
DPW: It changes over time. The Robot Ate Me was big for me when I started the band but I haven’t really listened to that in over a year. Right now I’m enjoying The National, Why?, Bjork and Aesop Rock. I play music from my iPod at work so I’ve been also been delving into a lot of shit that I didn’t even know I had.
LT: If RWBW were a sandwich, what would it be and why?
DPW: Skittles and broken glass on rye. I work at a sandwich store on Bedford and S. 4th so I know what I’m talking about.
LT: Are you trying to get signed, or are you going the DIY route?
DPW: We’re currently working on a contract. If anyone can hook us up with an entertainment lawyer for cheap, that would be mad helpful. That shit is costly. I’m serious. Send us an e-mail if anyone has an aunt or uncle who might want to help us out.
LT: Do you see a tour anytime in your future?
DPW: Hell yes?
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