Wolfmother is giving rock a kick in the ass. Wolfmother is the great savior of rock & roll. Wolfmother is the love child of Ozzy Osbourne and Robert Plant. Wolfmother is going to take over America.
These are some thing that have been said about Wolfmother of late. Much of it is pretty dead on. Their grandiose psychedelic anthems are grinding, boastful, flamboyant and undeniably raging.
I chatted with lead singer Andrew Stockdale last week, while he was stuck in traffic heading to day 2 of Coachella, ready to relax and take in some music other than his own since he played the day before.
Read the Q&A below, or stream it.
INTERVIEW: Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother!!
SG: There's a ton of raw imagery in your music – did you guys spend more time in high school reading about fantasy and playing D&D or dropping acid?
AS: Neither of the two. If you look at the artwork and the titles on a superficial level, it may seem like fantasy. If you listen to the songs, there's no real fantasy there. It's more romantic expression. There's a White Unicorn across her shoulders – just a design on an outfit. It's just descriptive language.
SG: Was that the inspiration for "White Unicorn," a woman with a unicorn print on her top?
AS: Yeah, maybe in my subconscious
SG: The album comes out May 2 and you've already been given props by Rolling Stone, the NME and Entertainment Weekly and have appearances Letterman and Conan – are you gearing up for global domination?
AS: We just take every day as it comes and take each show and put everything in it. And we're just enjoying the experience. It happened as a consequence of the music. When you get positive things happening and great experiences, you acknowledge it when it happens. I'm just enjoying being in a band.
More after the jump...
SG: Did you always want to do this?
AS: I had no idea this was going to happen. You might play a song to a friend and they could say that was cool. But you never comprehend … you don't nurture ideas of it being big or whatever. It's incredible what's happening. It's nice that we have the opportunity to travel the world and meet interesting people.
SG: When you first started up as a band, why did it take you four years to play out?
AS: What held us back? In some ways, we didn't really consider that we could dedicate ourselves to music. We were probably thinking about other things and other jobs to sustain our lives. Then eventually when we thought we'd do the basic things – do a show, record what we were doing – it all started to happen. That's as much as I can guess. Just a bit of procrastination thrown into the mix. Whatever I do I try to do it the best I can. I didn't really see music as something as work. It was always enjoyable and it came easily. It's what I love to do the most. To others, it might seem laborious to play a guitar for 10 hours. I think music comes naturally to us.
SG: What was a turning point where you actually realized you had something that people wanted to hear?
AS: I remember after the first time we recorded "White Unicorn," the demo, before we were signed and did a show. We had a pizza and were sitting next to the Metro [Theater], a venue [in Sydney]. At that time, I thought it would be a far-fetched dream to play there. I remember saying it would be a great venue to hear that song and just rock out. The thought crossed my mind at that time.
SG: What do you say to the haters who say you're nothing more than a Sabbath/Zeppelin rip-off act?
AS: I just say, give it a chance and listen to it back-to-back with those bands that you like and I'm sure you'll find something interesting and valid. These are songs that we've written and they stand up in their own right. I would say that criticism isn't what we should be thinking about.
SG: You look and sound like a '70s rock god – are the groupies treating you as such?
AS: [laughs] Uh, well you know you get a few people complementing things about your band. It's up to us where you take it to the next step. At the moment, I'm a family man. It doesn't come into the equation for me. Chris is in a relationship. Myles goes about his business in his own way.
SG: When you get in the studio or up on stage, what is your agenda?
AS: The agenda is just express yourself and be true to yourself. Play from the heart. That's it.
SG: What do you want the fans to take away from a live show?
AS: Hopefully they'll be transported from their daily lives to a freer place and feel understood through our expression. That's the beauty of the arts. It's about understanding yourself through other people's expression. Hopefully that's a good feeling. Whether that's expressing your inner demons or feelings of joy or whatever. It's all healthy to go three and realize it and go through it with the music. It's what everyone's looking for.
SG: What else influences you besides '70s metal?
AS: Anything and everything. It's day-to-day mundane experiences. Exploration of the mind. Books, movies, experiences with people. Lovers. Ex-lovers. Haters. Everything in life. Pick one situation and follow that.
SG: A news outlet called Wolfmother the kick in the ass that rock needs – do you agree?
AS: Yeah you could say that. It's a kick in the ass. It's an appreciation of rock and roll. We're just partaking in it. We're rediscovering it in our own way. And exploring the possibilities.
SG: Do you think you'll start a psychedelic blues metal revolution?
AS: Why not? It's better than selling AMWAY.
Andrew Stockdale is sooooo cool.
Posted by: Tash | April 27, 2007 at 02:34 AM