Spring Break
The Whigs: Mission Control
Anticipated sophomore release short but sweet
SAMI PROMISLOFF
Issue date: 1/24/08 Section: Out & About
Lead singer Parker Gispert feels as if the left-coast recording sessions were an unburdening time in which he was able to thrive and push the band's deceptively simple formula forward.
"It freed us up," he said. "We didn't have to worry about recording in a place that you normally don't record in and finding power and all those things. We really worked with the sound we wanted to get and how we wanted it to come out sounding sonically."
The journey to Los Angeles began in 2002 when Gispert finally moved from Atlanta to Athens, following the path of long-time high school pal and future Whigs drummer Julian Dorio. His underlying appreciation for the Athens community is a proponent in the band's success, even down to how the band's members initially met in a typical college town fashion.
"I met Hank at a party, and the next night I came up to Athens and we went to a Stephen Malkmus show at the 40 Watt," Gispert said. "That was the first time the three of us hung out."
The trio bonded over the love of their influences and spent time investing in bands such as Pavement and The Replacements, Gispert giving great credit to the Elephant Six Collective and even more so to The Glands, his self-professed "favorite band of all time."
The Whigs debuted soon thereafter at DT's Down Under in May 2002 gathering a strong reputation for their impassioned live performances and sugar-high of a show. As for the diverse draw of their crowds, Gispert makes sense of it all.
"There's kinda students, and there's kinda townies, but what all those people have in common is that they go out, go to concerts, go to shows, and like to have fun," he said.
The trio set up shop to record "Give 'Em All A Big Fat Lip" over summer 2005, and as much as they worked tirelessly to make the album, they were "touring a hell of a lot," Gispert affirms.
In the next few months, people were rapidly beginning to take notice, most notably the press. After the validation from Rolling Stone and Dorio's exciting underdog crowning of Esquire magazine's 2007 Drummer of the Year, the band's ATO distribution and the relentless time out on the road set them up for an onslaught of grassroots success and support.
"It freed us up," he said. "We didn't have to worry about recording in a place that you normally don't record in and finding power and all those things. We really worked with the sound we wanted to get and how we wanted it to come out sounding sonically."
The journey to Los Angeles began in 2002 when Gispert finally moved from Atlanta to Athens, following the path of long-time high school pal and future Whigs drummer Julian Dorio. His underlying appreciation for the Athens community is a proponent in the band's success, even down to how the band's members initially met in a typical college town fashion.
"I met Hank at a party, and the next night I came up to Athens and we went to a Stephen Malkmus show at the 40 Watt," Gispert said. "That was the first time the three of us hung out."
The trio bonded over the love of their influences and spent time investing in bands such as Pavement and The Replacements, Gispert giving great credit to the Elephant Six Collective and even more so to The Glands, his self-professed "favorite band of all time."
The Whigs debuted soon thereafter at DT's Down Under in May 2002 gathering a strong reputation for their impassioned live performances and sugar-high of a show. As for the diverse draw of their crowds, Gispert makes sense of it all.
"There's kinda students, and there's kinda townies, but what all those people have in common is that they go out, go to concerts, go to shows, and like to have fun," he said.
The trio set up shop to record "Give 'Em All A Big Fat Lip" over summer 2005, and as much as they worked tirelessly to make the album, they were "touring a hell of a lot," Gispert affirms.
In the next few months, people were rapidly beginning to take notice, most notably the press. After the validation from Rolling Stone and Dorio's exciting underdog crowning of Esquire magazine's 2007 Drummer of the Year, the band's ATO distribution and the relentless time out on the road set them up for an onslaught of grassroots success and support.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
John T.
posted 1/25/08 @ 12:51 AM EST
Unbelievable album. Gets better and better with each listen. This Whigs never abandon their raw sound and catchy hooks. I'm seeing big things in the future. (Continued…)
Alyssa
posted 1/25/08 @ 1:07 PM EST
This album is ridiculous....so so amazing! ya'll go off and be big stars...make us even more proud than we already are! :)
Matt Martin
posted 2/20/08 @ 10:40 AM EST
This band and their new CD is great. Check out the article on my site about them.
http://www.stounce.com
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