And we're pretty excited about it. The concert goes down in Irvine Auditorium tomorrow night at 8:30, so make sure to get your tickets ASAP. To prepare you for the awesomeness that is sure to ensue, we sat down with Peter Bauer, bassist/organist of The Walkmen, and Kip Berman, guitarist/vocalist of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart.
Back for Pubescent Seconds
Street: Your sound changed drastically between Bows + Arrows and A Hundred Miles Off. What made you pursue such a drastic change in sound? Was it a conscious shift or did it just happen? Peter Bauer: It was probably a conscious shift at the time. We always like to make each song sound different, so we’re constantly trying not to repeat ourselves. At the same time, people say all our songs sound alike, so what do I know? I think our next album has sort of a country sound right now with lots of oom-pah beats and acoustic guitars.
Street: Can we look forward to hearing some of the tracks that are going to be on the upcoming album at the show? PB: Definitely. We have recorded a lot of them already and are recording more in New York.
Street: Do you foresee doing another cover album, like Pussy Cats? That didn’t seem to be as well-received as your other work. PB: I don’t know if we will do another. You are right. It did not seem well-received. Some people just seemed angry about it. We were just kind of crazy at the time, I think.
Street: Do you have a different approach when you play college shows? PB: We play exactly the type of music you would expect when you invite a 40-year-old to a keg party.
Street: On your recent tour, you’ve been wearing vintage clothing that’s very mid-century in its appearance, matching the vintage instruments you often use. What’s the deal with that? PB: Walt [other organist/bassist Walter Martin] is sort of a... what is the term? I believe it is “metrosexual."
Street: You and Me sounds more sentimental than your previous work. Did you feel more emotionally-attuned while writing this album? Did specific things prompt this new lyrical feel? PB: My hormones are blowing up! I feel like I’m going through puberty a second time!
Rockin' Out for Grandma
Street: Irvine’s a pretty big venue. Are you going to change your set at all from how you approach smaller club shows? Kip Berman: We should try and suck less. I don’t know. We’re just opening for The Walkmen. They’re a really great band — consistently one of the best New York bands for a long time. It’s kind of amazing how strong they’ve maintained themselves.
Street: When you guys played the First Unitarian Church a few weeks ago, your mom was there and you gave her lots of shoutouts. Will she be at the SPEC show? KB: Yeah, she will! In fact, my grandparents are going to be in town from Wisconsin and they’ve never seen us play. Most of the places we play aren’t really “grandparents settings” so they’ll at least get a chance to see us play. So if you thought my shoutouts were cloying or too much, just wait.
Street: Is the sincerity in your sound something you strive for or does it just happen? KB: Well, I think if you try to be sincere, it’s insincere. Our songs are about our lives, and we just try to write songs about the actual things we experience, and even if that’s the cliche answer, that is what we do. We don’t feel bad about that. We’re not fascinating people. We just grew up in the suburbs, did normal stuff. We were bored.
