Interview with The Whigs

When characterizing the Athens, GA based indie rock band The Whigs, who play The Hitone next Wednesday, there's no shortage of Replacements comparisons or "Cobain influenced vocals" references. And it's understandable that reviewers tend to mention R.E.M., who also got their start in the college town, but the group more accurately has found influence from local Elephant 6 bands, such as Apples in Stereo, Elf Power, Neutral Milk Hotel, than the angst-driven rock of Paul Westerberg or Nirvana.

"I think it's just the natural thing to be compared to them, but I am not sure of the validity" admits singer/guitarist Parker Gispert, calling from St Louis before an in-store at Vintage Vinyl.

The Whigs have garnered substantial major press in the last year, ending up on Rolling Stone's "10 Artists to Watch" list and being labeled as one of the best unsigned bands in the country, though the "unsigned" label has finally been lifted as the band recently finalized a deal with ATO Records. The label, owned and run by Dave Matthews, has a roster that includes North Mississippi All Stars, My Morning Jacket, David Gray and Gomez.

After holding out for almost a year from signing with a major label, Gispert says the decision to go with ATO was pretty simple, "They're a small company, there's only like 5 people, and they actually came to shows. They were interested and put everything in writing. It's like with all these major labels they want you to play a showcase, they can't just come see us at a rock club. These guys (ATO) were genuinely interested and came and saw us play."

The signing has actually been in the works since the beginning of the summer. The trio, which includes bassist Hank Sullivant and drummer Julian Dorio, left for tour the day after they all graduated from The University of Georgia, but before getting on the van Gispert signed the ATO contract two hours after his final exam.

ATO will re-release The Whigs debut album, 2005's Give 'Em All A Big Fat Lip in September. The album was recorded in a vacant fraternity house last summer with a well-known figure working the soundboard, albeit someone known more for his famous footwork than his recording skills.

"The guy who recorded the album was (University of Georgia place kicker) Billy Bennett, the all time leading scorer in SEC football, he works David Barbe's studio in Athens" says Gispert. Bennett, the holder of nine NCAA records, has been known to garner more attention at some shows than the stage act.

The album was recorded in a month in a the plantation style SAE house with no air-conditioning, which may explain the Cobain style growl of Gispert's voice on songs like "Can't Hear You Coming" but the addition of horns on the record is more telling of the band's upbeat demeanor. As for the future, The Whigs, who claim no political affiliation that might be attributed to their name, plan to tour the south for the rest of the summer. With the recent purchase of a new recording program for Gispert's laptop, the band will be doing a lot of bathroom recording before heading back into the studio for their next full-length album.

Although the group is looking forward to using their big-name connections to record in a professional recording studio, they're still happy with their small town environment and have no plans to leave Athens, citing most rock band's parameters for a great place to live, "It's cheap and the food is good!"





Lots of tour dates can be found here.