How would you best describe Bedroom Rehab Corporation?
AW - We're a rock band with no guitars and a schizophrenic
amount of influences! Heavy Psychedelic or "Stonegaze" would be more
genres I guess but I don't have an easy answer for this. It's heavy, riff
centric rock tunes with doom arrangements and fits of violent noise. I could
probably go on and on with my philosophy of what we do and why we do it but I'm
convinced that it will all come out as far less conceded and contrite sounding
if I let it all come out in my answers to the other questions
You have a new record about to be released. What are the
differences between this and the last record "Red Over Red"?
AW - First and foremost I think the big difference in the
songs on Fortunate Some as opposed to Red Over Red is melody. There is a lot
more singing on FS and I think it makes it a far more emotive record. I think
ROR was a great place for us to start and learn about in the studio and as
songwriters. On FS we took all the things we did on ROR and jammed them into
every song. Melody, noise, quiet, loud, heavy, riff riff riff, scream. We
worked on expanding each of these ideas and fleshing it all out. This all comes
out to a 4 song album that is is only 10 minutes shorter than our 10 song
album. Justin's production is also way bigger on FS. So many more amps, tons
more low end, tricks and bells and whistles without ever sounding like we made
anything to slick. The man is a wizard and incredibly easy to work with. I
don't know that I'd ever bother to record with anyone else. He really gets us
as a band and as people and that's super rare.
BRC is like a machine lately playing all parts
Northeast. What is the best thing about
being out and about as opposed to playing in your hometown?
AW - Meeting new people and seeing new bands. We've met a
ton of awesome people playing music in other towns and states and that is half
of the reason we book shows now. I mean we want to rock out and we want to sell
records but the people are what make it worthwhile. The 3 bands we have on our
release party are not only people we respect as musicians and like to here play
but they are all good friends of ours and none of them are from New London. We
also like to learn about new bands so we can bring them back to New London and
be like "look who we found!", we want to be able to spread the word.
What is your favorite venue? Past or present.
AW - I always like playing at the El N Gee because the stage
was big and you had a good chance for the sound to be stellar. Plus there's
just such a history there. So many greats have gone through. Plus I got to play
with Weedeater there so... yeah I guess the El N Gee wins. RIP.
( the El N Gee as it stands today)
If you could join another band for a day what band would it
be?
AW - If I could play in any band for a day I think I would
probably be a noise guy for Clamfight. They are super awesome dudes who play
kick ass music and I would just like to do a set giving them some extra added
violence and atmosphere. They would throw me out for grandstanding and
generally destroying their on stage dynamic but I would have fun and we'd all
get sweaty and hug it out later.
How many pedals do you actually have? and do you really use
em all?
AW - Well on the board right now I have 18. I do use them
all even if it's just for tweaking noise rather than coloring my bass tone but
they all have a purpose. I recently paired it down a little bit. I took some
distortion pedals I wasn't using off but I did put some delay pedals back on. I
find the noise actually helps me write songs and riffs. The different tones
give me different feelings and put our different vibes so they color the sound
of the bass but they also color the way I play. So they're not just window
dressing, they are as much part of the song as the bass itself. I could not
tell you how many pedals i have in my collection in general though. I am
completely addicted to Distortion and Fuzz pedals and I'm always looking for
something just a little different or uglier or smoother or whatever. I love
fuzz, I need it! but yeah I've got a great deal of pedals beyond what's on my
board that i don't use very often. I may switch them out at any time though so
keep your eyes peeled.
As part of the New London music scene what would you say is
the best thing about New London?
AW - Best thing about New London right now is 33 Golden
Street. Gene and Craig welcome us and the bands we bring to town with open arms
and treat us like royalty. It's a small basement club and I like that vibe as
well. So yeah without a doubt 33 is the best thing.
(inside 33 Golden St.)
Where was the new record recorded?
AW - We recorded Fortunate some at Sonelab in Easthampton
Mass with Justin Pizzoferrato. Same place and same team as Red Over Red but we
all learned so much from that experience we thought we should go back and see
how far we could progress with each other. Right now I don't know that I'd
bother to go anywhere else. RECORD AT SONELAB!!!
What does the future hold for BRC after the new record is
released?
AW - Write more, play more, promote more. Move forward and
don't look back. We're going to be expanding our reach in the months to come.
Hopefully, Philly, Baltimore and some other places. No full fledged tours in
the near future but certainly trying to work our way further out into the
world. I just want to keep getting better and see how far we can push things.
I've got some song brewing with sounds we've barely touched on yet and we
haven't even put out Fortunate Some yet which I think is a huge leap forward. We're
only starting to come into our own, the sonic world is our oyster and I plan to
schuck it raw!
What do you think sets you guys apart from the other duo
bands?
AW - I think the thing that sets us apart from duo bands
within the genre is choruses. I like hooks but there aren't many in doom. I
want to bring the hook into doom. I also think that Meg is very much a
rock/punk-centric drummer and it gives our music a different feel then a lot of
bands we play with. As far as duo bands outside our sonic realm I think the
fact that I'm playing a bass and generally only one note at a time and manage
to sound full without a hundred amps is something that sets us apart. i don't
want to learn a new instrument and i don't want to lug anymore gear so i put
the time in effort into pedals and settings.
What are your top 5 favorite records of all time?
AW - Tom Waits - Rain Dogs: It's bizarre and perfect. The
man does not now what the word conventional is yet he always comes out with
things that seem to resonate with a ton of people. Rain Dogs I think will alway
be his most low down and also most loving record.
Pearl Jam - VS: Yup love them and this was one of the first
tapes I ever purchased with my own money. The guitar sounds on that record are
unparralleled and I don't give a damn what anyone says Eddie Vedder's voice is
one of my all time favorites. I feel like rock bands used to play songs with
different tempos and do heavy tunes as well as ballads before things got to
genre specific. VS is just a great rock record that covers a lot of bases.
Sleep - Dopesmoker: This is stoner rock! 1 song, 63 minutes,
ALL RIFF!!! just the shear audacity of the thing makes me giggle and it's
powerful from start to finish.
Thelonious Monk - Criss Cross: The man can make you cry or
jump for joy and is brilliant at both. This was probably the first jazz record
I ever bought and still a favorite. Something about Monk's timing just gets me
in the heart strings. It's far from perfect in a traditional sense but the
notes are always there when you need them and never when you don't.
Face to Face - Face to Face: Love the songs, love the bass
lines. This is an album from my late teens/early 20's that i will never tire
of. It's back when pop-punk was more punk then pop and that makes a huge
difference.
What are you currently listening to?
AW - Literally at this very moment I am listening to
Pyramids - A Northern Meadow. one of 2015's most interesting releases as far as
I'm concerned. it's like if Radiohead and Wolves in the Throne Room had a child
and it was raised by My Bloody Valentine. I can't get enough of it. I've been
listening to a lot of things that are using shoegaze type tones in different
genres where you wouldn't think the influence would belong but it works. it
just gives things a gloom but it also makes them lush and airy. Plus Pyramids
includes Collin Marston on this record and he can do no wrong in my eyes. So
yeah, A Northern Meadow. Check it out.
When not kicking ass on stage or recording brutal albums
what else drives you?
AW - I like American whiskey and craft beer a lot! I take
trips to some breweries and try to sample different things when I can. It's a
very interesting time for the booze industry and i think people are being more
creative than ever even with a limited number of ingredients. The smallest changes
in recipes or the way things are cooked or stored can make such a huge
difference and I'm digging the results. I also like comics a lot. Saga, Bone,
Hellblazer, East of West, Rat Queens as well as some of your standard Batman,
Spiderman, Daredevil type things. Never grew out of it and i guess i never
will. i think comics are in an interesting place as well. the old fans are
growing up and becoming writers and artists and instead of writing for a
younger audience they're writing for themselves with amazing results. I also
have a great family that is still growing these days and I'm finding more and
more that I am enjoying the younger generation and helping to try and make them
descent people. The world needs more of them. I think for me and a lot of other
people family = hope in the future and that's something i was in short supply
of for a long time.
Where you born in the right decade?
AW - I honestly think i should have been born in the early
70's so i could have enjoyed the scene more in the late 80's and early 90's. I
had great love for grunge but never got to see the bands at their peak or at
all. I think i was really close to where i belonged and got to see where i
belonged just not from the front row.
Black Sabbath or Deep Purple?
AW - Sabbath. The answer will always be Sabbath. It's in my
DNA.
If you could drink 1 beer for the rest of your life what
would that beer be?
AW - Igor's Dream from 2 Roads brewing Co. Yup that's right,
I would drink a CT beer for the rest of my life. Drink Local!!! It's a Russian
Imperial Stout aged in Rye Whiskey barrels that only comes out once a year in
January. I would buy a ton of it and ration it throughout the year. probably
wouldn't drink much during the summer though. Can I still drink whiskey and
Gin?
What is so cool about being in a band anyway?
AW - Sharing your vision with anyone who will listen and
some that don't even want to. I'm scarcely ever more "me" then when i
have a bass in my hands, pedals at my feet and a mic in my face. There is
nothing like it, playing live whether people are reacting or not your body
surges and your spirit just takes hold. The demons come out, the world goes
away and you get to let everything go for a while. Hearing something you've
recorded is like watching a child be born. You created it, you nurtured it into
existence. I hate to get all existential on you but it really is what makes it
for me. It's the intangibles that are created by playing music. i just love the
music.
Would you like to add
anything else?
AW - Go see bands. Buy Records. Wear their T-Shirts. Pay the
cover charge. Those of you that do, we are eternally grateful. Thank you for
listening.
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