The Wake Effect

Radiophonic American. Acoustic, electronic, melodic, rock. And not in that order. But don't take my word for it. Here's what SPIN Magazine had to say; -SPIN: The music seems very eclectic. I'm sure you've heard all the comparisons, yes? -TWE: I'd like to think of it as The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead, and Styx were all in a room together, got violently drunk, fought ?. and I won.

-SPIN: The music seems very eclectic. I'm sure you've heard all the comparisons, yes?
-TWE: I'd like to think of it as The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead, and Styx were all in a room together, got violently drunk, fought
?. and I won.
-SPIN: Are you serious? You just said The Beatles and Styx in the same sentence.
-TWE: Oh, I'm dead serious. No, of course not. What's important to remember here is that nothing is really important, especially comparisons.
-SPIN: So I take it that you don't take yourself very seriously? Do you take the same approach to your music?
-TWE: Not at all, actually. I feel very strongly about this record. I locked myself in my spare bedroom and denied myself a life for a long while, all for the sake of putting down every sound and song that has been inside my head for years.
-SPIN: All of the songs on Step One have a distinctive signature, but are all different. You kind of run the gamut from melodic hard rock to alt/acoustic ballads, to electronic space rock. Do you think you'll find an audience for your brand of music?
-TWE: Radiophonic American, baby! That's the sound. To answer your question?probably not. I am all over the place on this album. Record Labels wouldn't touch this one with a ten-foot pole. Too many angles to market. It's cool though, cause I know I'm awesome.
-SPIN: I did notice the recurring theme throughout the album. What's all this ?Risk & Uncertainty' bit? Is this a concept album?
-TWE: Ugh? You mean like Tommy? No. With permission I borrowed the theme from a band that I'm a big fan of. It fits in with life right now. And it really stems from one riff that I couldn't stop playing?for years. I took it and made four very different songs based from it, all encompassing that one riff, or theme. I think it really ties an album of very different songs together. Kind of like a good rug does for a room.
-SPIN: Sounds like you've put a lot of thought into the album.
-TWE: Everything you hear or see, there's something behind it.
-SPIN: What's the writing and recording process like for the band?
-TWE: Well, it's pretty simple. I come up with a bad-ass idea. I turn it into a song, and they do what I tell them. No, I'm just kidding. I wrote and recorded all of the songs. I had some help from a session producer/drummer, but the whole album was something that I thought out, note by note.
-SPIN: That sounds like a lot of time and effort for one person. What drove you to undertake something like that?
-TWE: Alcohol. Vodka and Monster energy drink actually. And the fact that it's something I've always wanted to do since I started listening to music.
-SPIN: So what direction are you going to go next with your music?
-TWE: You know, I can't decide. I really do love the electronic stuff on there like ?Ten Things' and ?Selacid'. I'm certainly gong to incorporate more of that, but I could never get away from the conventional rock and acoustic side. I think what I'm going to do is just tighten up the songs. On the next album I'll attempt to make every track have an immediate, undeniable impact. On Step One, I think that tracks like Fragile, Edinburgh's Song and some others have a delayed hook. They may take a few listens to grow on you. Who knows.
-SPIN: Well thanks for talking with us today. Best of luck with the album.
-TWE: That's it?! ?no photo shoot?
-SPIN: No.


XXX OOO
The Wake Effect



ps
SPIN never interviewed me.

pps
The parts about the music being awesome are all true though