It’s a gift, bestowed upon a select few from the gods of music, to be able to create a sound so free of time, fads, and all other boundaries.
To be able to create a sound that falls into a class of it’s own, with no telling what city it sounds like it’s come from, what era it comes from, or what type of person wrote it, is a blessing that few artists are able to experience.
One band that falls under this magical spell of music is Warpaint; the indie, semi-pyschedelic rock foursome from L.A. Album after album these ladies completely slaughter the notion of sound, all while playing world tours, massive international showcases and festivals, and still having time to take on new projects with other bands, like their dual remix situation with Daughter.
If you live in L.A., you may have caught their sold out show at The Roxy, which was also our Jukely launch show for Los Angeles. Recently, Rolling Stone did an awesome “Young Guns“ feature on one of the singers and guitarists in the band, Theresa Wayman.
We got lucky enough to chat a bit with one of the baddest guitarists in the game and the lady of slaying herself.
Hello Theresa! Where are you guys and what are you doing right now?
Hi! We’re home! I just watched The Daily Show which is always AMAZING. It’s the only way to get the news!
As a band, we’ve been writing new songs and letting ourselves experiment with different ways of writing together and different sounds. Our influences are so varied that I think our strength lies in the dynamics that come from exploring that range of voices. It’s exciting!
I saw that you guys have a European tour heading up in March, which means you won’t be at SXSW this year. Which show are you looking forward to playing the most while abroad?
No SXSW for us this year. We were there last year and that was enough for now. Looking forward to being in London again… We’re doing our biggest show yet there in March at Hammersmith Apollo!
The self-titled album is so cool. Obviously, it’s been so well received and loved by many. I read in Rolling Stone that you said you would want the next album to have a bit more guitar—so how do you inspire yourselves to implement more of a specific instrument into the songs?
That inspiration comes naturally. It’s evolution. There are some things that will seem appealing and you do them and then they’re played out and something else is calling your attention.
On this last album we were a little fed up with having two guitars and bass all trying to make lines and fill in spaces. Seemed like there was too much of that and we wanted different textures. And now after experimenting with that idea, there’s some room again for those guitars that we cut down on.
What will you be working on after the Euro tour, or do you find that you can work on music while touring?
We work on things on the road, but very slowly. It’s hard to get into a groove there sometimes. Especially with so many people around all the time and not much time to yourself. Being on a bus is like living with ten people in a studio apartment crammed with wall-to-wall bunk beds, a couch for a living room, a tea kettle and toaster for a kitchen, and a bathroom you can’t shit or shower in. Sounds inspiring, right?
Well, not particularly. But speaking of inspiration, what are some other mediums of art (film, fine art, photography) that inspire you, and which artists in that field specifically?
I’m in love with Roman Polanski. He’s so good at making things feel very wrong and uncomfortable and it inspires me that he loved to do that. He could make films about anything and he chose to talk to the dark side, the mysterious, the deranged, the mental. And I love his slow pace which just adds to the tension and the creepiness.
Speaking of which, where did the idea of your album cover for the most recent album come from? The merging of all four faces, it’s so cool.
That was all Chris Cunningham. We did a photo shoot with him but didn’t really know what was going to come of it… The moment we saw that image we knew it was right. It looks incredible but also speaks volumes and sums up the process of Warpaint. Our personalities stacked and layered on each other is a perfect explanation of our band… it comes from all of us equally.
It also states accurately that we’re a four-headed monster beast so… beware!
Who are some artists that you think we should be listening out for in 2015?
The Garden! They’re so good. They’ve got a new on-to-some-other-thing type thing going on. You’ve got to see them live!
I think Blood Orange is going to continue doing great things and get more and more attention.
Kate Tempest will come out with another album… hopefully. If not 2015 then 2016, but either way, it’s going to rule and you should be listening.
Hopefully King Krule does his next. Can’t wait for that!
