Wild Light

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Wild Light is a four piece band from New Hampshire that formed in 2005. The quartet released their first full length studio album in March 2009 called ‘Adult Nights’ and their first single ‘California on my Mind’ has done exceptionally well to-date. With influences that range from The Clash to The Rolling Stones, Wild Light has put together an album that is definitely worth a listen.

When their current tour stopped in Montreal with The Doves on June 2^nd, CONFRONT had the chance to sit down with Timothy Kyle and Seth Kasper. While waiting for the interview to start, I was able to hear the band do their sound check. I could tell immediately that I would love their album because their sound was incredibly catchy and I had only heard them rehearse a couple songs.

Soon after their sound check I met up with the guys. Although tired from nonstop touring, Tim and Seth were both excited to share details about their album and spoke passionately of their work;

CONFRONT: So would you guys mind just introducing yourselves for the recording?

TIM: Sure! I’m Timothy Kyle

SETH: And I’m Seth Kasper

CONFRONT: Thanks! So how’s your tour going so far?

TIM: It’s going good! It’s been a long stretch, pretty much 2 straight months… We have 4 shows after tonight, 5 shows including tonight left on this tour-

SETH: We’re kind of back in our own territory after tonight, New York, Philly, Boston, DC…

CONFRONT: Well that’s cool!

TIM: It’s been great though, the Doves have been awesome, they’ve treated us great and really good band, fun to watch everyday

SETH: I’ve listened to them for years so, you know, being able to go out with them has been a total pleasure every single night!

CONFRONT: Have you guys had any crazy experiences on tour?

SETH: Well, it’s like, as far as us getting around it’s always a battle with our vehicle…

*laughs*

SETH: Keeping it in shape and learning about all this crazy-ness that could possibly happen to it, those are some of the crazy things as far as I’m concerned, but probably not as far as the public is concerned, not such amazing stories *laughs*

CONFRONT: *laughs* no worries

TIM: I’m trying to think if there’s anything particularly interesting that’s happened on this tour… Umm, can’t think of anything… It’s been so straightforward!

SETH: It’s definitely been smooth sailing. I’ve definitely started to feel after 2 and a half months that it’s like…. Business as usual! Like… really?! *laughs*

TIM: Can’t really remember beyond the last 3 days…

SETH: *laughs* Yeah, we’ve been doing like marathon drives, we did manage to run out of gas once!…

TIM: Yeah we ran out of gas in Alberta, like in the middle of Alberta… That was an interesting experience!

SETH: *laughs* Yeah! I learnt a new name for a gas can, it’s called a “Jerry”

CONFRONT: I’ve never heard that…

SETH: I have NO idea why it’s called a JERRY, but it’s called a Jerry! *laughs* and we definitely needed a f*cking Jerry in Alberta… *laughs*

CONFRONT: *laughs* So I read that you guys kind of jumped from one tour to the next, is that right? Did that get chaotic for you guys?

TIM: Yeah, Kinda sucked. *laughs* But you know relatively speaking. It’s just mentally when you go into a tour and you think “okay we’ve got these, you know, 2 and a half weeks” that’s what you’ve got in front of you. Then we find out that we picked up THIS tour in the middle of the last one so it was like “Oh, okay… Now we’re only gonna be home for a day and we’re going back out for 3 weeks” so suddenly we’ve got like 2 months ahead of us

SETH: And it’s funny, because that’s the part that’s the strangest to get used to. It’s like, okay now you’ve got to get used to this uncertain cloud ready to drop bombs at you at any point. I mean they’re good things but it’s just like, at any moment’s notice, you could be out for another 2 months and it’s like “Oh man!” *laughs* but it’s good, you know.

TIM: Oh yeah they’ve been good tours

SETH: Yeah!

CONFRONT: Well that’s good!

SETH: We can’t ask for better tours. All the bands, they’re great guys.

CONFRONT: Definitely. You guys just released your album a couple weeks ago, “Adult Nights”, what’s the meaning behind the title of it? Is there a specific reason you chose that?

TIM: Yeah well there’s a lot of different ways that I think we think about it, we kind of came up with the name together, we had lists of literally hundreds of titles, and I think that one was like combining a bunch of names and it just clicked, we kind of all agreed on it. But yeah there’s a few ways I think about it. I think that this record, the songs were written in the process of all of us getting on our feet as independent grown-up human beings and it was kind of a dark time, a lot of struggle… I mean it was a productive time, a rich time, but it was definitely a struggle just creating the stuff that we’ve been creating. There was also, in that struggle, times were it was an ecstatic experience too and I think that duality is kind of reflected in the title. Just in a very literal way “Adult Nights”, the first thing it makes you think of is like going out to strip clubs or something like that, and we knew that was the surface representation, especially when you put it with the cover artwork- the artwork sort of has that strip club esthetic but it’s very deceptive.

SETH: Yeah exactly, if you get into the lyrics, the heart of the “beast” you start to see that it’s more about growing up in, sort of like New Hampshire and small towns

TIM: And trying, seeing what you want to be, knowing that it’s going to take some work to get there and to be there… and I don’t know, there’s other ways to think about it too… The title makes me think of dreams, and I think that a lot of the lyrics come from a dream-like thought process, and a lot of the songs also have a night-time sound to them, it’s a driving-at-night type of record. So there’s a lot of ways that that I think it works… Other people have their ways of seeing how it works

CONFRONT: Definitely, but this is what you guys see

TIM: Yeah

CONFRONT: And how have fans been reacting so far?

TIM: It’s been good! I mean the opening slot thing, it’s something we’re pretty used to at this point and depending on the situation it can be kind of a hard sell. A lot of people are just getting there [the venue], the place isn’t packed yet, people don’t want to come to the front… So as an opening act you’re just like the warm-up. A lot of shows got really packed- and I’m really excited for tonight. It feels like the kind of room that we can go a little overboard.

CONFRONT: Yeah it’s definitely a good venue!

TIM: Yeah it’s a good size for the opening act!

SETH: Yeah that’s one thing that’s been interesting, we’ve been really running the gambit on club sizes. On our first tour we were doing rooms that varied from 400 to 1000 person room… a thousand being a rarity- and right after that we’re out with the Killers and it’s like… I don’t even KNOW the capacity…

TIM: The biggest was Edmonton with 20, 000 people!

CONFRONT: Wow!

SETH:  And you just kind of lose your bearings as to what you’re playing for you know? I mean you know the audience because it’s basically the same audience every night- it’s the Killers’ audience. But it’s definitely interesting to get into the swing of the different rooms every night. One thing that’s going to be fun is our next tour- it’s going to be relatively smaller-ish rooms, but more around the 500 to 1000 again. I think it’ll be a good chance for the people who have seen us on the last few rings to come out on their own. Because the thing about these tours- don’t get me wrong they’re great- I mean I’m not going to mix words… It’s like, we’re playing to a DOVES’ audience. I mean maybe a couple times people have come out and said like ‘Oh we’ve come out to see you!’ and that HAS happened but other times they came and they were like ‘it was sold out! What the hell?!’ and it’s like Well….!

CONFRONT: So it’s really about getting your name out there!

TIM: It’s all about exposure at this point. People still don’t really know about us so it’s really about getting our name out there and getting people to just get that first listen.

CONFRONT: Definitely. So… this was your first full length album right?

TIM: Yeah!

CONFRONT: How was that for you guys? I mean, putting it together… was that a different experience for you?

TIM: It was awesome. It was so much fun. It was probably one of the most satisfying things I’ve ever done.

SETH: The process leading up to it was very intense!

TIM: It was a long process-several years that we were together and really just kind of grinding and playing in and around New York and Boston… just trying to get to where we had some support and some help. But yeah it was awesome, a lot of fun! We went out to California and we recorded in LA with Rob Schnapf who’s made some records that are pretty important to some of us-all of us- in the band and that was a memory that whatever happens we’ve still got that

CONFRONT: It must have been a neat experience

TIM: Yeah, it was awesome

CONFRONT: And you guys released a single and you have a music video for that single called ‘California on My Mind’?

TIM: Yup!

CONFRONT: Is there a meaning behind the music video? Does it tie into the lyrics at all?

TIM: Well it was the idea of the directors’ concept, so it was kind of his interpretation of the lyrics- or not necessarily his interpretation, but one take on what he thought could work as a video and the idea was to kind of start with this… Have you seen the video?

CONFRONT: I started watching it on your Myspace I think? It was really good!

TIM: Yeah, so you know what it looks like, especially with the Marilyn Monroe. The idea for him, he started with this specific image of Marilyn Monroe- sort of a famous one but not as famous as other ones of her, partly because she looks pretty bummed out but it’s still a very iconic image. The song wasn’t inspired by broken California dreams but that was kind of his take on it and sort of the underside of California, ambition, fame, all that stuff

SETH: It definitely worked nice because it’s a way that people can pull a meaning from the song very easily. It’s a VERY recognizable figure and kind of a doomed character so it works out really well.

CONFRONT: Yeah definitely

TIM: It’s funny though, the video is funny! It’s not like super serious

SETH: It was really funny actually doing the video because we had to do everything double-speed, so she was like… *Seth starts singing the song at top speed* We got to play it like that like 100 times that day so it was really intense *laughs*

TIM: the Marilyn Monroe impersonator is actually the Marilyn Monroe from Pulp Fiction. So that was cool!

SETH: She was pretty classy! She was a really interesting girl, so it was cool!

TIM: She was driving a BMW! I was like “Damn, a Marilyn Monroe impersonator, lucrative world!”

SETH: She’s got it set-up! But anyway, it’s a nice little chuckle… You know- you get a Marilyn Monroe impersonator to say “Fuck California” so you’re like “Oh, that’s interesting!”

TIM: I think that was his idea, like  “I wanna see Marilyn Monroe sing Fuck California” That was a solid point

*Laughs*

CONFRONT: So your single, how does it represent you as a band? I mean, why did you choose THAT single compared to anything else?

TIM: Well we didn’t choose it, the label chose it

CONFRONT: Do you know why they did?

TIM: I think it’s because it’s just like really touchy from the beginning of us playing shows and us playing that song in shows it’s kind of like a song that people immediately respond to. In the world of showers and growers on an album it’s like our biggest show. You hear it and it gets stuck in your head the first time you hear it. It’s kind of a funny single in some ways because there’s not another single that we can follow up on it for people who love ‘California On My Mind’… I mean, there’s certain characteristics about it- the melodic- and musically- but it’s sort of a singular song at the same time

CONFRONT: That’s kind of cool though, to put your name out there with something completely different

SETH: Yeah it’s an interesting experience. We’ll see what happens! We’re not sure what the next single will be or when it’ll come out- so yeah we’ll see!

CONFRONT: Yeah, it’s a good start! What have been your musical influences along the way?

TIM: Like from the beginning? Growing up and stuff?

CONFRONT: Yeah and like while making the album, the whole way?

TIM: The musical influences question gets harder and harder as time goes on because there’s more music to be influenced by. 20 years ago there had been less records in the world then there was now. It’s funny because it makes me wonder where pop music is gonna go… It’s not like the Beatles who started out… you know, they were influenced by a few sub-cultures that were producing music and they synthesized it into whatever they did. But now there’s many generations of music and people who are really into music- and I think we all are- we never stop going back and looking for other stuff. So point being, it’s a difficult question and I think it continues to get difficult for bands to answer that question because there is constantly new music to be influenced by. But I think just to paint it in broad strokes we’re all kind of influenced by the classic best pop. The Beatles, Neil Young, Rolling Stones… you know that stuff. The stuff that is immortal and will endure forever. It’s important I think that if you want to do anything that has a chance of sticking around it’s important to see how the masters did it. But then I think the melodies of the 80’s show up in our music a lot too. Stuff like The Cure, The Smiths… that’s our generation of post-punk. We also listen to the first generation punk: The Clash… all that stuff. Kasper, any additions?

SETH: For me it’s been interesting, like when we started playing together it was just like me walking and them playing in a living room with a piano and just stomping on the floor playing acoustic guitars. It was like “alright well this is the most raw song form there is, this is just great so we’ll start there and see where everyone takes it” and then without intention of “Oh this is the influence this is that, this is that”… As things came along I was definitely into… Fleetwood Mac. It definitely made a lot of sense to me.

TIM: I think we never set out to be like an indie-band. We always imagined being more like-and I don’t pretend that we’ve achieved this- but a band like Fleetwood Mac that are really great, and have great lyrics and great songs that are melodically strong and pop in a disposable way. Although a lot of people hate Fleetwood Mac, but if we do what we’re trying to do then we’ll have a lot of people hate us too *laughs*

CONFRONT: And for your album I read that you guys all co-wrote it and there was a bunch of you doing vocals on it… Was that chaotic? Was that hard to put together for you guys?

TIM: It is kind of hard… It really is to be honest. It can be a difficult situation to figure out how to manage it appropriately. You know you have three song writers and everyone wants to get as much of their material played as possible- but this is more material that we can realistically play together- atleast at this point… But also at the same time it just kind of worked out in a way that was like; nobody’s really won and nobody’s really lost. It’s just kind of like the life of the single organism of the band has sort of superseded anybody’s individual ambitions or desires. The songs that ended up on the record it’s just kind of like- everybody can live with it, no one has any regrets

SETH: I think a big part of the success of that was again- I mean, it’s one thing in the song writing process how it all falls together but it just becomes kind of a natural layout. Everyone throws their chips in, see how it fall together and just sort of see from there. But you know, as far as sequence on the album, the way we did the vocals in the studio, it’s a big credit- apart from to the band- to Rob Schnapf who figured out how to put the pieces together. A lot of it was already laid out, but to have him around as a side voice-outside of all this- was definitely important. It’s definitely something that everyone embraced!

TIM: He was like a mediator, an independent voice who’s just concerned about the record being as good as possible

CONFRONT: So you guys have a long-standing relationship with the band Arcade Fire. Where did that start/happen?

TIM: Some of us kind of grew up together. Like Jordan- who’s not here- he was actually roommates with Wynn (Arcade Fire) in boarding school/high school when they were like 16, and they used to play music together, cover bands just for fun in high school. But we all were part of the community that grew up together and influenced each other and talked about art and ideas, created stuff together… And then I started playing music with Wynn at like 18 or 19 and actually moved up here with Wynn with another guy named Josh who’s actually also in the band at that time and actually is the person who did our artwork.  The three of us moved up here to start the band. It was actually at the time called The Arcade Fire so that was kind of the first incarnation, the three of us moving up here. Shortly thereafter we met Regine and she started playing with us and me and Josh actually left amicably for different reasons- I left and went to McGill for a year and then left and took this other program of study that was in New Mexico that I really wanted to pursue… So it was a pretty tortured decision. I had a pretty heavy instinct that The Arcade Fire were just going to be f*cking huge. So it was hard to leave. And then they were F*cking huge… and that was a somewhat interesting experience *laughs*

CONFRONT: It must be weird to look at them and be like “I used to be there”

TIM: Yeah but it was also so long ago, and it was a different situation, and it wasn’t hard in the sense that we were friends all through those years, we stayed tight, we still got together and played music together and they really helped us out. They gave us a bit boost that got things rolling by inviting us to go on tour with them. Some of them are going to be here tonight too. They’re great folks and they’ve been really generous with us, and they’re great friends…

CONFRONT: And a little bit off topic from that, what is the best and the hardest part of what you guys do?

SETH: Living in a tiny van for hours and hours and hours… is one of the hardest parts of the whole thing. I mean it’s fun seeing the country, it’s fun from time to time, like having a really great purpose behind your travels- I think that’s one of my favorites

TIM: I think we’re all pretty weary right now, and that’s hard… But there are things that are harder for me, internally harder- I mean I can deal with being tired but it’s really frustrating for me to not get to finish recording unfinished songs for another year, that’s really hard for me.

SETH: But you know, the tours we’ve gotten, we couldn’t have picked better ones

TIM: I think bands complain about a lot, the cycle that the business requires- and rightfully. Because the business doesn’t work without there being money. Money was paid for us to make our record and money needs to be made for us to make another one. And the reality is that yeah, you’ve got to go to work now. Ideally I would love to tour for a month, record for a month and so on… Instead of having this barren year with no creativity. Bums me out.

CONFRONT: I guess it’s worth it though, playing shows?

TIM: Yeah! Playing shows is also creative. It’s great fun, I love playing shows! Nothing against playing shows at all. It’s more just the length of… When you’re in the studio forever you get sick of that too. I think probably when you get to a certain point you can make those kind of decisions a little more but logistically it’s difficult.

SETH: What the Killers do to deal with it, is they bring their own studio with them, LITERALLY on the road… So it’s like… “Well, I solved that one!”

TIM: It would be great right now with the two hours before the show to a room where there’s a piano and a microphone and just record some ideas.

SETH: I wouldn’t wanna touch the drums! *laughs*

TIM: At the same time, I guess I say that now but if I had the opportunity I’d be like “Oh, I cannot do that…”

CONFRONT: It depends I guess!

SETH: One of the hardest things… Actually one of the weird hard things that we’re doing is that we’re doing these tours with bands, like Killers, who have a much different logistical set-up but we’re on the exact same page. So some of the drives are just ridiculous… I mean, they make it so you can handle it- or sometimes they don’t at all… But it’s set-up for a higher level of network. Like, tour bus… where you just get to the venue and you’re just rushing up until you’re getting everything off the stage, into the van and you close the gate and you’re like “Ahhhhh! Get me a drink!” *laughs*

CONFRONT: Finally get to relax!

SETH: Right! *laughs*

CONFRONT: So what is the biggest, most important lesson you’ve learnt in this whole process?

SETH: I love the small lessons the most actually.

*Just then, The guys’ tour manager walks by the dressing room, down the stairs*

SETH: Like these tour managers, who ask SO much of you… *laughs*

TOUR MANAGER: I’ll  tell you one thing, you can smile… but these guys are major trouble and I’m gonna kick their ass if they keep at it!

TIM: He’s tour managed people like Amy Winehouse and we’re the biggest problem they’ve ever had… *laughs*

SETH: The small stuff though… Like if there’s one bathroom between the whole crew, don’t take a sh*t in that one! Like if the band hasn’t eaten yet and there’s catering, wait for the band to eat! Then go eat. Those funny like… it’s just a different kind of culture that you’re learning about. That’s what’s interesting to me. How far can you push yourself? I’ve learnt that I can push myself pretty far! *laughs*

CONFRONT: Oh for sure!

TIM: I don’t know if there’s a really the BIGGEST lesson… Maybe don’t live with your band mates…! That’s been a lesson learned the hard way. But also just as far as things I’ve learned, it’s not so much a lesson, but we’ve been around North American… this is the 3^rd time this year, and what is it now the 5^th, 6^th month of the year?

CONFRONT: And it’s your third time already? Wow

TIM: Yeah this is our third North American tour. So you don’t get to hang out in one place for very long but I’ve really enjoyed just traveling around and seeing all these places I’ve never seen… People complain about touring, saying that you go all over the place but you don’t get a sense of where you are and just get to hang out… You see the venue and that’s it. That hasn’t been my experience at all- I feel like I’ve gotten a sense, although a very superficial quick one, but it’s a legitimate sense. I’m very clear that Seattle has a different feeling than Portland. You just figure out places you like and the places you would use to put together your dream road trip as you go along. If you have a taste for being on the road, it’s cool… Non-stop, you don’t get tied down, don’t have to read any mail. You’re free

CONFRONT: Do you guys have any pre-show rituals?

TIM: Not really… We get changed; get on our stage clothes, warm up our voices. None of us are very ritualistic… Kind of just physical preparation for playing a show

CONFRONT: Do you guys still get nervous?

TIM: I do sometimes! It’s kind of random. It’s unpredictable!

SETH: I won’t know that I’m actually nervous until I pick up the sticks and then I’m like “What’s wrong today?” *laughs* something feels different! It’s not stage fright or whatever, it’s just can I deal with my body today? *laughs*

CONFRONT: Yeah! And the last question, where do you guys see yourself in 5-10 years from now? Either as a band or individually

SETH: I can just laugh at that question, because I have no clue!

TIM: I’ve actually learned that there’s a danger in thinking that way, you become stressed out… But it would be great to just be making a living doing something creative

SETH: I can’t wait til a week in a half from now when I’m in Cambridge… To do some camping, and hang out and do my thing!

CONFRONT: Awesome. Well thanks very much for your time guys, I appreciate it!

TIM & SETH: Thank you!

The band has currently gone back on the road until the end of August with tour dates across the States. Head over to their MySpace page (below) to see if they’re heading to a town near you! You definitely won’t regret seeing these guys play a live show.

Don’t forget to check out Wild Light’s debut album ‘Adult Nights’ which is in stores now. If you’d like to learn more about the band you can visit them at:

www.myspace.com/wildlight

or

www.twitter.com/wildlightmusic