Wolfmother Discusses Witchcraft, Music & Dick
By: Brett Hickman |
Sunday May 07, 2006 |
| Wolfmother take the best aspects of 70s prog and hard rock to make a sensational new vibe for modern times. |
| Wolfmother take the best aspects of 70s prog and hard rock to make a sensational new vibe for modern times. The Australian trio, comprised of singer/guitarist Andrew Stockdale, bassist/organist Chris Ross, and drummer Myles Heskett started out the year with the release of their highly touted Modular/Interscope EP, Dimensions, and have just released their self-titled full-length on the same labels also to great acclaim.
Heskett wrote back to our free wheeling questions with aplomb and a courtesy that has us believing that all Aussies must be as kind and generous. Static: What's the last song that flat-out scared you? Myles Heskett: The soundtrack to Twin Peaks, that show is so good but so scary and I love the soundtrack but if I play it I think that Bob is coming to kill me and wrap me in plastic. It gives me the shivers. What was the worst show you ever played, and why? It was a show in N.Y. last year, Andrew and I caught the flu. It was the middle of winter. Andrew lost his voice and was struggling to sing. The hired drum kit we got was a piece of crap, someone had to bring a sack of potatoes up on stage to stop the kick drum from moving. During the first song the hi-hat stand broke and in the middle of the third song the snare stand broke. The snare drum fell off into my lap and the bottom skin had burst. I was sick as a dog and frustrated so I tipped the kit over, picked up the kick drum and gave it to a friend who was standing in the audience. I walked off and sat at the side of the room while Andrew and Chris kept playing. Someone decided to attempt to put the kit back together and I felt guilty so I came back and we finished the set. It must have sounded terrible but people came up to us after and told us how good the show was. It was so bad that it was good. What will you do immediately after completing this interview? Attempt to go to sleep in my little bunk on our bus. What song are you most proud of on this album? Why? "Witchcraft." I think it's groovy. What artists have you discovered in the last 6-12 months and how has their work influenced yours? A friend introduced me to the Mahavishnu Orchestra which inspired me to buy a clear, transparent drum kit. What can fans expect to get at one of your concerts that they couldn't necessarily get on your album? They get to experience three really, really good looking guys in person, performing versions of their songs with all of the mistakes that didn't appear on the record. Who/what were some motivators for getting you into the industry? Seeing artists like Faith No More, Metallica, Kyuss, Beck, Blues Explosion, Trans Am, Rocket Science, Spod, Yeah Yeah Yeahs perform live. Reading Mickey Hart's book "Drumming at the Edge of Magic." Being frustrated going to bad gigs. Being frustrated by not having played gigs. Watching films like "The Isle of Wright Festival" The Who's "The Kids Are Alright" and Pink Floyd's "Live at Pompeii." Being an addicted music listener. Listening to drummers like Earl Palmer, Mitch Mitchell, Nick Mason, Joey Waronker and Ringo. What direction do you feel you're headed in artistically? What's next? I'm not sure. Sorry, we are in major tour mode at the moment, we've been jamming a little when we have time but not enough to call a new body of work. We don't really plan our direction, whatever comes out comes out. What other creative mediums would you ever care to dabble in? Why? I went to art school and have been painting and drawing for a long time, I would love to have a painting studio set up but I am making do with a sketch book on the road. I would love to make an experimental film one day just for the fun of it. What was your first live performance like? Three nervous rabbits in headlights. Who influenced (or dictated) what music you listened to when you were growing up (DJ, parents, siblings, classmates, etc)? Parents, friends, TV, the record store. My dad had Sgt. Peppers and lots of English folk and jazz records as well as Neil Diamond, Elton John and the entire Billy joel collection! Hell yeah! Do you read music criticism? Who are some of your preferred critics, if any? Not really. I'd rather just listen to the music and form my own judgements. I get a little frustrated reading other peoples opinions of it. Music to me is a magical thing and it either works for you or it doesn't. Some people are genuinely affected by Celine Dion you know? Reading about music history or artist interviews and biographies is cool though. Name a canonical, respected, revered artist whom you think is wildly overrated. He he, if I don't have anything nice to say I'm attempting not to say it otherwise NME might use it out of context, and try to create a fight between us and the canonical, respected, revered artist. What one thing must you have on tour with you...? My computerandmyiPodandmysketchbookandmyclothes. Favorite recreational tour stop...? New York! What's the best thing about being a musician...? Exploring uncharted territory in your mind. What's the most truly subversive piece of music you know? Mike Patton's Adult Themes for Voice you really want to listen to it because he's such a cool guy but you can't because its just too irritating and painful to endure. What was your first rock and roll record? Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet! Prior to becoming a full-time musician, what did you do for a living? Graphic design, I hated it. I'm sure it could be a great profession, but I had a terrible job. It did help me to buy my drum kit though. How did you come up with your name (if a band or alter ego)? The name Wolfmother comes from a book by Tom Robbins that Chris was reading when we needed a name. How did your band form? We met through common friends and decided to hang out and jam. We realized that we shared a love for music and daydreaming. What advice would you consider passing on to other musicians just starting out? Take risks wherever possible. Musical risks that is, not jumping in front of cars and stuff. Is Scott Stapp a drunken asshole or a misunderstood genius or neither? I've never heard of him before, but he looks pretty rock on his website. Describe the process of recording your new album. We spent three months in L.A. working with producer D. Sardy, who turned out to be a rad dude. For the first month we rehearsed at Cherokee Studios where we wrote new songs and worked with Dave on all of the arrangements. We then went to Sound City Studios where we tracked the drums to tape (which was then bounced to Pro-Tools). Then Chris put down the bass and organ parts at the Pass Studios. After that Andrew worked between The Pass and Sound Factory Studios recording the guitar and vocals. Dave Mixed the album when we were done. What is the thing you look forward to most about recording? Touring? New experiences and meeting cool people. What is the thing you do not look forward to about recording? Touring? Airport queues, hours of boredom, lack of sleep. Dick Cheney - Did he intentionally fire or was it a complete jackass mistake? Either way he's a Dick. |
