Their Shot in the dark
The past has been good to The Whigs – but this story is just beginning

by Alec Wooden

The January 28, 2008 episode of David Letterman’s Tonight Show wasn’t noticeably different than any other night – the first 56 or so minute, anyway. That’s because the last four minutes introduced the public at large to an Athens, Ga., trio packed with rock potential. At Letterman’s cue, The Whigs took the late night stage and ripped, kicked, screamed and hammered their way through a gut-busting version of
“Right Hand on My Heart,” the lead single from that year’s breakout record, Mission Control.

The Letterman sighting was two years removed from Rolling Stone’s 2006 listing of The Whigs as a “Band To Watch,” and set the trio on a slow but steady rise. The two years that have followed have rounded out the late night circuit, seen appearances at nearly every major stateside festival and opening tours for the likes of white-hot Grammy-grabbers Kings of Leon.

Now, with the proper foundation in place, The Whigs emerge from the studio with In The
Dark – another catalogue of sensible garage rock ready to open ever more doors just wide enough for a southern rock trio with a boatload of potential left in their future.

With everything you guys have gone through, press-wise and buzz-wise, since Mission Control, is there more pressure with the release of In The Dark?

Parker Gispert: Ya know, I think we all set pretty high standards for ourselves, put a lot of pressure on ourselves - so I don’t feel like we notice any real outside pressure or anything like that. It’s more self-imposed. And if people do have expectations, then that’s good.

The record was cut at home in Athens, as opposed to the location recording of Mission Control. Did that familiarity have advantages in the recording process?

PG: It did. Being able to hear what was happening in the studio everyday was really nice. When we were in L.A. (recording Mission Control), we had this little rental car and we had to listen to stuff on the stereo [of the car] and it gives nothing for comparison if you’ve never been in that car before. Or you’re in the studio listening, where everything sounds good [laughs]. It just really felt so much more comfortable, ya know, being at home and being surrounded by stuff that’s familiar.

Musically, what’s different on In The Dark?

PG: I never wanted the band to be a guitar rock band. And on this album, most of the things started with drum and bass- I think 9 of the 11 songs started with the writing of the entire song like that, and I’d come in and write my melodies around that. I think it really helped us.

The bass slot in the band was in flux for a while in the writing of Mission Control. I imagine having that as a more concrete pillar of the band helped a little bit in the writing this time around.

PG: That’s a big reason why this record was written the way it was. We wanted to have the band write as a band – we wanted Tim to have a big part in the process and by doing it with bass and drums first, he definitely became a very integral part of the record. When Adam [Saunders, formerly of Athens band the Pendletons and credited bassist on Mission Control] was doing the parts on Mission Control, there was a bunch of different people helping him play. We’d have the songs written and he’d just come in and fine tune the bass parts, so it wasn’t really as much an integral part of the record.

You guys took some pretty big touring steps in the opening gigs for Kings of Leon. How has the live show mindset changed with those experiences?

PG: It’s still the same mindset. It’s a really weird thing to go through. Playing the bigger stages and the bigger stages is actually really liberating. You’d think it’d be very daunting to get up there and play these big rooms, but it’s just really odd to get up there and go ‘Wow, I can actually move around. I can go 20 feet without tripping over speaker cabinets.’ We definitely picked up stuff playing festivals and big shows, we had to change how we engaged the crowd. It was cool to get the chance to try and adapt to it.

Is it tough to get into the same mood as a small, dark rock club when you’ve gotta sometimes play at a big outdoor festival at 3 p.m.?

PG: I always think it’s important to be cognizant of your surroundings and just be aware that every situation is unique and every situation is different. When you’re at the clubs, there is always a little bit of time when you’re just feeling out the room and trying to tap into the vibe. And that remains the same, and that goes back to keeping the same mentality.

There’s just something awesomely bold about a trio, isn’t there? Being able to make all that racket and do what you need to do with just three of you?

PG: Ya know, I think keeping things simple really opens a lot of doors. A lot of times, for me, I’ve found that playing in bigger bands has left me thinking about things that ultimately don’t matter as much. The song is the most important thing, whether you’re in the studio or playing live.

Let’s say In The Dark takes off and you return to those same arenas in a year – this time as the headliner. What is something you hope never changes within your band?

PG: First of all, that would be awesome (laughs). I feel like change is always welcome. I feel like if you are playing arenas, some logistical stuff would change obviously – you’d get to tour in a bus instead of a van. If we were on a tour bus and not in a van, we’d have more time to write songs. We wouldn’t have to be driving (laughs). So I’d be really excited about chance. You’ve gotta embrace the change and make it work to your advantage. You can’t let it affect your sights and your goals and all that stuff – but I think we’re safe in that category.

So let’s hear it straight from the source: who’s the coolest late night host?

PG: (laughs) I don’t know. They’re all different. Letterman, I think for all of us, was the biggest thrill just because growing up he’s been on the TV since we were little kids, ya know? He’s such a classic television personality. It was just crazy. Conan is really involved in his show. I was really surprised by that. They’re all cool in their own way.

«HOME