Up and coming Philadelphia, Pennsylvania band Gene Wildest have just released an acoustic album. I recently sat down with the band and asked them some questions.
Check out the interview below while listening to the sweet tunes.
TMRX: So how did your band form?
We formed in 2013. From 2007-2010, Rob and I were in a band called Human Sounds together. After that, we realized we missed playing live and decided to start Gene Wildest. Originally it was me (vocals, guitar, keys), Rob (guitar, keys), and our friend Ben Zemel on drums. Our friend Eric Richmann joined later, singing and playing bass. Through a mutual friend, we found our current drummer, Dave. My brother Sean has been playing bass with us since December 2016.
TMRX: What are you trying to convey through your music?
We really just want to make music that's unique and creative, but catchy at the same time. We love guitar pedals and cool guitar licks so that's where the psychedelic rock/math rock influences come from. Both genres are great because there is a lot of emphasis on the instruments and a lot of freedom in what we can do. Lyrically, we tend to sing a lot about death but with some sort of positive twist. Spectral Terrestrial is a concept album about dying and returning. Future Flowers comes from the idea that we'll all be flowers one day. You know, all the happy things in life.
TMRX: What inspires you?
Inspiration usually comes from hearing a cool guitar riff or something unique that makes me want to try and figure out how to play it and then use the parts of it that are particularly cool. Not ripping off the exact notes, more the general idea. Tim Collis from TTNG is incredible at coming up with cool guitar tricks. He does a lot of stuff that I would never think of, like tapping two notes with both hands and sliding the left hand down and the right hand up. When you learn a new trick like that, it makes you want to pick up your guitar and write a riff around that idea. Then add some lyrics about dying and surfing with aliens on another planet and BOOM! you got a new song. Lately, I've been getting inspiration from key scenes in movies. In a single scene, so much can happen. It's fun to put yourself in the characters' shoes and make up your own version of the characters' internal dialogue. We've been working on a song that's about the basement scene in Inglorious Bastards. My friend recently convinced me that it's one of the greatest movie scenes of all time. You could probably write an entire album about it.
TMRX: What's next for your band have any shows or tours planned?
We have a few local shows lined up in Philly and we've been toying with the idea of doing a Northeast tour between Philly and Boston. In the next few years, we're hoping to line up some shows on our way to Austin and do SXSW and Math Rock Times Fest. We keep joking about touring in Australia because one of the radio stations down there like us for some reason. You never know, the jokes might become reality one day. We're working on our fifth album now, it's not completely written but it's well on its way. "Another Step in Wet Cement" and "Into Loving Arms" from the acoustic Gene Mildest album will probably make it on there.
TMRX: Aww thank you so much! I would love to have you come play at my festival! It's been great getting to know your band more, I have been enjoying your new album and I can't wait to hear what comes next!
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