SO LONELYWavves Loves the Music His Parents Hate
 |
|
Photo by Robbie Butler
|
Nathan Williams is 22 and makes music on his own in a lo-fi project he calls Wavves. He used to be in a band called Fantastic Magic, which actually managed to out-lo-fi Wavves. Once you hear Wavves you’ll find that hard to believe. Each Wavves track that gushes never-endingly from Nathan’s MySpace and numerous blogs seems to rip and grab from every one of his beloved childhood influences. He shimmies between West Coast G-funk, slacker pop, surf rock and girl-group melodies, all bathed in a warm hissing, crackling fuzz that makes your average K Records release sound like it was recorded by Bob Rock. He also maintains a great classic-rap blog called Ghost Ramp. Vice: Why does your record sound like it was recorded in a tin can at the bottom of the ocean?
Nathan Williams: I just record everything into GarageBand. Sometimes I’ll go through the 4-track into GarageBand and just keep playing. I try and record every day but my drum kit just got stolen. How did that happen?
I left it at my apartment and went on a trip and when I got back it wasn’t there. I think it was my little brother’s friends, though. That’s my theory. You can definitely hear some doo-wop melodies in there among the swamp. Who are your top three girl groups?
I like the Marvelettes and the Ronettes a bunch, and the Shangri-Las, obviously, even though that is kind of boring to say. My usual guideline is that if it ends in “ettes” it will usually be pretty OK. Do you ever get lonely playing on your own?
Constantly. The only way to get over it is to smoke weed and watch Seinfeld. Due to all the distortion it’s difficult to make out the lyrics. Do you want to tell the people what you’re singing about?
Being lonely. You’ve had a pretty intense amount of coverage on music blogs considering you’ve only been doing this since February. Do you think they picked up on it so quickly because you are a blogger yourself?
Maybe. The blogging thing just came about because I was working in this music store in San Diego called Music Trader. It was an awful place filled with racist jocks and douchebags and I just couldn’t handle the 9 to 5 so I ended up quitting. The sparkle in my day while I was there had been these nice guys who would just come and in and talk rap records with me. Once I quit the job I suddenly had all this time on my hands and wanted to talk rap records but had no one to talk about them with so I started Ghost Ramp. I’d always listened to rap though because as a kid the two things my mum wouldn’t let me listen to were West Coast G-funk and alternative guitar music so those were the two things I got heavily into. So Wavves is just a combination of what your mum wouldn’t let you listen to as a kid?
Exactly. I am living at home again now after I quit at the record store actually. I bet she can’t wait to see the back of me.
CALVIN JAMSON Wavves has a self-titled album out now on Fat Possum and a seven-inch called “So Bored” out soon on Young Turks. myspace.com/wavves
See all articles by this contributor
| shelby, on Sep 29, 2009 wrote:
hey wavves, fuck you and the hype you rode in on. | | Anonymous, on Sep 28, 2009 wrote:
They say wavves sounds like shit, but when your constipated the sound of shit is just what you need. | | Anonymous, on Jul 6, 2009 wrote:
Really like no hope kids, Nathan’s sound is just what I need. | | Anonymous, on Jul 5, 2009 wrote:
...so many haters.[2]
second album got into universal catalogue btw | | Anonymous, on Jun 18, 2009 wrote:
I wanted to be the first non anonymous but i see that’s impossible. at the end of the day wavves music may not be the most catchy at first at least to an ADD kid like me but props for your attitude man, u got balls... that or they were cut off long ago and you’ve come to terms with it | | Anonymous, on Jun 9, 2009 wrote:
SO BORED. Es good! | | Anonymous, on Apr 22, 2009 wrote:
cutie | | Anonymous, on Apr 3, 2009 wrote:
a couple years? try right now. | | Anonymous, on Apr 3, 2009 wrote:
Wavves will be huge in a couple years. You watch. | | Anonymous, on Mar 30, 2009 wrote:
just saw wavves sat night in brooklyn. actually really good live. i was worried going in, but he pulled it off well. | | Anonymous, on Mar 30, 2009 wrote:
...so many haters. | | Anonymous, on Feb 28, 2009 wrote:
"Do you ever get lonely playing on your own?
Constantly. The only way to get over it is to smoke weed and watch Seinfeld"
that’s great | | Anonymous, on Feb 28, 2009 wrote:
this is the worst music i have ever heard.. thanks wavves for spelling your name wrong and making everyone dumber for have heard it.. dick! | | Anonymous, on Feb 27, 2009 wrote:
fresh music | | Anonymous, on Feb 2, 2009 wrote:
nor is a 4 track... | | Anonymous, on Feb 2, 2009 wrote:
garage band isnt low fi... | | Anonymous, on Jan 27, 2009 wrote:
is tic tac a label cause all i know about that is the little candies that you buy at the grocery check out line | | Anonymous, on Jan 27, 2009 wrote:
tic tac totally still didn’t send me out my 7" from december. fuckers. | | Anonymous, on Jan 26, 2009 wrote:
I’ll pass. Thanks. | | Anonymous, on Jan 23, 2009 wrote:
"so bored" is quickly rising on my itunes most played list | | Anonymous, on Jan 23, 2009 wrote:
Don’t work Wavves’ "mum," your son is still a fake. | |
| rusty, on Jan 23, 2009 wrote:
who cares what lyrics are about anymore? none of them are about anything, really. | |
| poozer, on Jan 22, 2009 wrote:
wavves is one of my favorite recent discoveries. i hope he can stay relatively small for a while so he can develop his stuff more. and so i can afford to see him! | | Anonymous, on Jan 22, 2009 wrote:
sounds like shit. | |
| Vice, on Jan 22, 2009 wrote:
The record label has been fixed, but it’s not a matter of poor research when the facts change AFTER the article has gone up. Thanks for catching it though. | | Anonymous, on Jan 22, 2009 wrote:
its not on destijl either, good research. it was supposed to be, now its on fat possum i believe | | Anonymous, on Jan 21, 2009 wrote:
That drumset story is made up. Haha. | |
| Grant, on Jan 21, 2009 wrote:
Lots of "bedroom" musicians are adding doo-wop hints to their songs right now. | | Anonymous, on Jan 20, 2009 wrote:
ween and wavves are both the bomb. so there. | | Anonymous, on Jan 20, 2009 wrote:
ween is the most overrated band this side of beck. shut your trap, wavves is awesome. | | | Next 30 comments > |
| |
