Right at the end of their last of many opening tours, Wild Light sat down to talk to QRO. In the conversation, singer/guitarist/bassist/keyboardists Jordan Alexander, Tim Kyle and Seth Pitman & drummer Seth Kasper discussed their many tours, their debut LP, Adult Nights (QRO review), what’s next, why they’ve always been opening (starting with Arcade Fire – QRO live review), why Alexander, Kyle & Pitman switch instruments all the time (even on stage), what Kasper does while they’re doing that, feeling guilty for playing undeserved shows, New Hampshire, California, Pittsburgh, Kasper’s old band, Kyle’s old shirt, their “core demographic” of “emo fourteen-year-old girls”, getting taken to a strip club in a limo (but not flying to their next venue in a helicopter), and much more…
QRO: How has this tour been, with Bell X1 (QRO photos on tour with Wild Light)?
Jordan Alexander: It’s been good. The drives have been kinda short, which has been nice. They’ve been really nice, cool guys, which is awesome.
Tim Kyle: We played a bunch of towns we’ve never played: Ann Arbor, Woodstock, and Cleveland… Annapolis last night. Kind of random, small, kinda college towns.
QRO: It seems like you all have been opening for a lot of acts on tour – Bell X1, Doves (QRO photos on tour with Wild Light), stellastarr* (QRO photos on tour with Wild Light), The Stills (QRO live review, on tour with Wild Light), Ambulance LTD (QRO live review, on tour with Wild Light) and more. Why is that?
TK: Good question. That’s our question as well… [laughs]
Seth Pittman: I think we just are still getting our fan base up there. This is only our first year of touring. We’ve only been touring for like eight, nine months, and we played over a hundred shows over that time.
We’re still just in the process of getting people familiar with ‘Wild Light’. Reach people on other tours, where lots of people show up.
QRO: So do you have any plays for a headlining tour?
TK: Not concrete, at this point, no. We’ll probably start working on it at some point.
I mean, we need to, at some point. I don’t know – up to this point, we’ve trusted the opinions of the business people, about what the best route to go is. We could book a headlining tour; whether or not it would make money or not, whether people would show up, remains to be seen.
People have been showing up, on this tour, though, to see us. This tour, there’s been people in the crowd who are clearly there for us, which is cool.
QRO: What are your plans after this tour?
SP: Start working on a new record, writing, rehearsing. Actually, mainly setting up – we’ve all been writing; just have to arrange it, put it all together. Early 2010, we’ll be in the studio.
QRO: Are you playing CMJ (QRO 2008 recap)?
TK: No. We were scheduled to, but we backed out.
QRO: What do you think of ‘industry fests’ like that, or SXSW (QRO recap)?
JA: SXSW was really fun. They’re kinda just fun, if you do ‘em right. Because they can be such a shit show, driving around, finding a place to park, loading in & everything – to play to nobody, in somebody’s backyard.
We had a really great time at this last SXSW. I’d say it’s much more fun than CMJ.
TK: CMJ’s a little tougher. Because it’s a city, it’s pragmatically more difficult to navigate for bands.
You kind of have to wind yourself up for those weeklong things.
SP: You just know you’re going to be exhausted.
TK: You’re just going to be running around, non-stop, for a week, so you just accept that.
SXSW was really fun this year.
QRO: Have you guys always instrument-switched like you do? How did that start?
TK: It started with the way that we write, which is, somebody has an idea, so they start playing that instrument, somebody else just grabs instrument… You’re brainstorming, and you just kind of pick up one instrument and try to brainstorm some ideas on that. “Mmm, ‘kay – I’ll try this other instrument…”
QRO: Does that affect how you make a set list?
JA: Yes.
TK: We try to think about how much switching, and the flow. It makes writing the set list, I think, more complicated than for most bands, where it’s just like, ‘These songs flow well together’. Whereas we have to do, ‘These songs flow well together, and we’ll be able to pull it off.’
SP: We don’t want to disorient the audience. We don’t want to be ‘showboating’, back-and-forth every time. That’s not really what it’s about.
QRO: When you played the Red Bull Space at the last CMJ, you and the band before you, Gringo Star (QRO photos from CMJ), was doing the switching…
JA: That was a little disaster…
TK: An example of what’s kind of rough about CMJ…
SP: Metal floor…
TK: All backline is somebody else’s, and none of it works right – ‘Oh, this sucks…’
QRO: Has anyone ever tripped over chords or the like, while switching places/instruments?
SP: Yep!
TK: We have it, at this point, down to, ‘Okay, guitar always has to go in front, bass always has to go in back.’ ‘Cause we get tangled.
Until we go wireless…
QRO: Seth [Kasper], do you like watching them run around, or do you get impatient?
Seth Kasper: I’m just hanging out, watching ‘em, ‘Oh no, you go behind!’ [laughs]
SP: It means more work for you, ‘cause you have to fill in the empty spaces.
QRO: Need a drum solo…
SK: That’s why we have a lot of songs now where we have them start with drum intros.
JA: And we’re really bad with banter…
QRO: What’s it like playing “California On My Mind” in said state?
JA: It’s kind of like playing it in every other state, except, sometimes, we get lucky, and people get pissed off.
When we played with The Killers (QRO album review), people get pissed off.
SP: They were kids – high schoolers…
JA: They take it personally. It’s funny – it’s not really that exciting. You’d think it would be, I guess. Maybe when we’re playing different shows more, headlining shows, it will be different.
Wild Light playing “California On My Mind” live, but only at Highline Ballroom in New York, NY on October 9th, 2009:
QRO: What was making Adult Nights like?
JA: Lotta work?…
TK: It was fun. I mean, debut record is a little different than now. A debut album, at least for us, there’s several years, at least for us, where we were working on the songs, rehearsing – learning how to be a band, before we started what was actually the record.
But the actual making of the record was really fun. We were in California, it was sunny, it was summer, went to the beach a lot. Had a great time with our producer [Rob Schnapf (Elliott Smith, Beck, Guided By Voices)].
QRO: Why did you include new versions of three songs from the self-titled EP, “New Hampshire”, “Red House” and “New Year’s Eve”, but not “Dark Fire”?
SP: It just kind of worked out, picking the songs between us, and the label, and Rob, getting the best batch of songs.
JA: Rob heard all our songs, we played them for him, and he was like, “Uhh… I don’t think those two need to be on it…”
SK: But they’ll be on the next record, I bet…
TK: We’re playing them [on this tour]. It’ll be on something – it was just kind of the matter of let Rob really pick what he thought was a cohesive bunch of songs.
SP: And everyone has their own babies, so this way there’s eyes outside.
JA: I think those two songs were two of our favorites, “Dark Fire” and “North vs. South”.
Wild Light playing “Dark Fire” live at Maxwell’s in Hoboken, NJ on April 4th, 2008:
QRO: Is it ever tough criticizing each other, how somebody plays an instrument, considering you three all play the same instruments?
SP: We don’t really do that, actually. We kind of know what we’re good at. It’s not worth it. We’re all trying to make a good [record]; we’re all trying to play well together. There haven’t been any, ‘You suck at guitar…’
SK: Some songs, Tim does great on bass, and other songs, Seth does great on bass. It depends what you’re doing, and why.
JA: Sometimes I do great bass… [laughs]
SK: Sometimes you do great on bass. Sometimes I do great on bass… [laughs]
SP: Sometimes you’re drumming… [laughs]
QRO: You said that the songs on Adult Nights, you’d had for a few years. Do you ever worry that all the young emotions-related material – the title, songs about running away from home, etc. – risk making people think that you’re emo?
TK: Not really. Never really thought about it. When I wrote words, maybe I’m like an emo teenager…
JA:
[laughs]
SP: What can I say to make her cry?… In a good way…
Wild Light playing “Call Home” live at Highline Ballroom in New York, NY on October 9th, 2009:
QRO: How did you get on Sony/Columbia?
TK: Through a long chain of events.
SP: We got signed to a little label that was owned by Columbia, by a guy who ended up leaving the picture, but we stayed behind at Sony.
TK: Arcade Fire’s manager [Scott Rodger] signed us to his label, which at the time was a Sony imprint. That was the connection.
QRO: Do you have any new, post-Nights material?
JA: That’s just about to start, after this tour.
QRO: So you don’t play any of it live right?
TK: We’re playing two new songs. Well, “Dark Fire” is an old song, and then another new one hasn’t been released on anything.
QRO: How did you all meet?
TK: We all grew up together. Jordan & I were in school together, and then in school with [Pitman], and [Kasper] lived in the town over. We’ve all known each other since we were about ten…
QRO: Are there any other bands that actually say they’re a ‘New Hampshire band’?
SP: I can’t think of any…
JA: The Queers.
I think Okkervil River (QRO live review) was from New Hampshire, or one of the guys was.
SP: The main guy [Will Sheff – QRO photos].
JA: Aerosmith was, but they like to say Boston…
SP: You see, most bands from New Hampshire label themselves Boston bands, ‘cause that’s the closest big city, where they started. But we didn’t really start in Boston to such an extent, that we think New Hampshire suits us better.
TK: And it’s true…
QRO: You mentioned Arcade Fire. You all first came known to the wider world because you opened for them. How did you first get in touch with them?
TK: There also, we grew up with some of them, played music with some of them. We’ve just been friends over the years, so when they heard we were forming ‘a band’, they helped out.
QRO: This was a couple of years ago, but how was playing Randall’s Island with Arcade Fire?
SK: Crazy…
TK: I kind of feel the most ‘guilt’ that we got that show, of all the shows – of all the ‘undeserved shows’ we ever got, that’s maybe the one I feel most guilty for.
Not really – it was great; I have no regrets. It was fun; it was amazing. That was kind of was the one that was most like, if you looked at the line-up of bands, and then we’re on it – not that I don’t like our band, but there were many much more established bands.
JA: Blonde Redhead (QRO photos from that show), LCD [Soundsystem] (QRO photos from that show)…
SK: The thing about that show, it was like, ‘Really?!? We’re here?!?’
TK: We weren’t very good, either…
JA: I personally don’t think it was a very good show for us.
SK: We were playing with seasoned professionals. It became a very, very easy, fun time, directly after we finished. We got to watch some of the most amazing shows that you could ever ask for.
SP: I will say that I quit my job the day before we played, so it was amazing, playing this amazing venue, just after having quit my job.
SK: And then you lost your wallet on the way…
SP: {Laughs] And then I lost my wallet…
TK: With your last paycheck in it… [laughs]
SP: No, not that, but with my ID.
TK: I probably wouldn’t have been at the show, if we didn’t play, which is probably part of the guilt…
SP: Arcade Fire have a knack for playing shows just a little beyond your scope.
JA: They like to test how much their audience loves them.
SK: The funniest part about that show was, I think was about halfway through the Arcade Fire set was, “Well, we’re not going to come back here until 2010…” And I was like, “Wow – that’s so long!” And it’s like right here…
QRO: Do you do anything differently when you play outdoors?
TK: No. We should, probably… [all laugh]
QRO: Seth [Kasper, your old band] Hooray For Earth (QRO album review) plays Studio @ Webster Hall (QRO venue review) the same night as Wild Light plays Highline Ballroom (QRO venue review). Is this the first time your old band is playing the same night & city as Wild Light?
SK: Like, back when I was playing with Hooray, I would get lucky. Actually, the Randall’s Island show, the night before, I played Bowery Ballroom (QRO venue review). So it was a really fun, New York thing.
But ultimately, it was just too much.
QRO: Tim, previously, you always seemed to be wearing the same red shirt on tour. What happened to it – and how did you keep it clean?
[all but Kyle laugh]
TK: Somebody stole it. I got mugged after a show at The Warsaw in Brooklyn. All of my stage clothes got stolen. So I don’t keep it clean at all anymore…
I miss that fuckin’ shirt – it bums me out…
QRO: Do you think it made you so much more noticeable on stage?
[again, all but Kyle laugh]
TK: My goal was to look better than these guys, and to be more apparently attractive.
JA: Hey, I’m glad he lost it…
TK: Blind the audience with the color I was wearing…
QRO: Your performance of “Call Home” at The Wiltern in L.A. was recently on Last Call with Carson Daly (QRO Indie on Late Night TV). Did you even know they were taping it when you were playing?
TK: We did, but we didn’t think it was going to be on. This was back at the beginning of the Doves tour, second night of the Doves tour, and we’d been pitched to them, but they said the season was full. But they were filming does, so they filmed us, and if they had room – and I guess they had room.
SP: And there’s going to be room again, soon.
JA: And that show sucked!
TK: It was good to watch it, though. We were in hotel, and we watched it. We were worried – we were really nervous going into it, because that show, we played terribly.
JA: That was the worst show of the tour.
TK: Of course, the one they filmed was awful. All kinds of crap went wrong. So we just hoping it was okay, and we were very relieved that it wasn’t awful. They found the one song that wasn’t awful.
QRO: Going in, I was hoping they would do “California On My Mind”, because of the location, but then I realized they couldn’t, because of the lyrics…
JA: And they certainly didn’t do the censored version of it…
QRO: Is there a censored version?
SP: Yes. It sucks…
JA: For the kids… For the fourteen-year-old girls…
TK: Which is our core demographic – as you’ve picked up on…
QRO: Are there any songs that you particularly like playing live?
TK: “Freebird”
JA: I like the new stuff right now, just because it’s new.
TK: We probably all have our own most fun moments of the show.
QRO: Are there any songs you can’t play live, because of the arrangement, or just don’t like to?
TK: I hate playing Jordan’s songs…
[all laugh]
JA: I was gonna say Tim’s songs…
SP: I would say every song!
QRO: What cities or venues have you particularly liked?
SP & JA [together in unison]: Pittsburgh!
JA: L.A.
TK: Portland, Oregon, San Francisco…
SK: There’s a venue in Birmingham, Alabama called The Bottletree. There’s two Airstream trailers out back, to hang out in. It’s own by the Spacehog guy?…
TK: Man Or Astro-man…
SK: Yeah – Spacehog?!?
TK: That’s been one of the fun things this year, is figuring out what towns we like.
I think we all get psyched when we get to the West Coast.
JA: Chicago’s fun, too. The big cities, I guess.
SP: Austin…
QRO: What about playing Boston, considering it’s not your hometown?
TK: The Doves show was great. The last show of the Doves tour (QRO live review of The Doves that night).
JA: There are some venues that are fun to play in Boston.
TK: The House of Blues there is cool.
QRO: Finally, do you have a favorite tour story?
TK: Hmm…
JA: When we were in Baltimore, this guy took us to a strip club…
SP: This lonely, drunken man…
JA:
And then, he was like, “I can get a limo, and bring you guys to a strip club…”
TK: And we’re all freaking out, ‘Oh god, he’s going to steal our shit!…’
JA: But finally a limo showed up, and the guy came in, helped us into the limo, went to a strip club, and he paid for a lot of things…
And at the end of the night, he was talking to me, “Hey man, you can come stay at my mansion, come crash there tonight. That’d be cool…”
SP: “I’ll give you a helicopter ride…”
JA: And he said, “I’ll give you a helicopter ride to your next venue.” I kind of wanted to do it, but…
SP: What Jordan leaves out is that I actually did it. What no one else knows, is I took a helicopter ride…
Wild Light playing “Future Towns” live at Highline Ballroom in New York, NY on October 9th, 2009:
