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| High Waisted at Brighton Bar in July |
Party on the Road
New York City's High Waisted are a band that like to party, but they should also be taken very seriously. On their debut album, On Ludlow, they deftly combine achingly beautiful guitar tones and the powerful voice of Jessica Louise Dye to create a retro-modern version of surf pop. Whether listening to the record or watching the band play live, you can sense the care and precision that go into everything High Waisted do while still feeling the undeniable urge to dance along.
To this point, High Waisted have done everything themselves without the help of a label. They've managed to net themselves a spot on Riot Fest and have built their first national tour with Somos and Free Throw around that. That tour brings them back to New Jersey for a show at BoonTunes in Boonton on Saturday, August 27th. I had the chance to ask Jessica Louise Dye a few questions just as they were setting off.
On your website (with the awesome address highwaisted.party, btw), you say that the band is "fronted by Jessica Louise Dye and backed by three long-haired hunks." How did you all come together as High Waisted?
I moved to NYC for a boy and the opportunity for a fresh start. He broke my heart and decided to move out stealing my entire record collection. Devastated, I wandered the streets of the Lower East Side, sitting alone in dark bars late at night scribbling into a notebook.
It was on one of these nights I met Jeremy Hansen (bass), Stephen Nielsen (guitar) and Jono Bernstein (drums) at a BYOVinyl night. We instantly bonded over old albums by The Ventures, Dick Dale, and Link Wray. It was there, on Ludlow Street, over cold Tecates and spicy tequila, that we decided to start a surf band. High Waisted was born, and the party had begun.
What drew you to your particular aesthetic of 1960s-inspired surf rock?
Surf rock is the only kind of music I can dance to. I wanted to create tunes for other people with limited dancing skills!
I've been pretty amazed with how much you've accomplished while remaining independent and unsigned. Has not being on a label been a conscious decision or has the right deal just not come along yet?
There's a time for everything and we're a DIY band to the core. We design our own shirts, posters, website, album art, blog, and social media. We own our music and have final say on everything. Which is really liberating. When we find a label that gels well with our "go get it" ethos, we'd be happy to have them join our team.
Do you have any advice for other bands that may want to pursue a more independent path?
You have to have a clear idea of what you want now, in 6 months and in 2 years. Most importantly, you have to be willing to put in long hours, learn a lot as you go and work as a team. We enjoy working on all the little details, so loving every step of the process is also a must!
You seem to have cultivated a whole, I don't know, "vibe" around your band -- from your videos to your High Waisted at Sea cruises to your live shows -- where everything you do as High Waisted is a party. Is being in this band really a non-stop party or are you all secretly wallflowers staying home with the cat when you're not playing shows?
As any good party person knows, balance is key. You can often find us running around the Lower East Side at our favorite watering holes crushing brews, playing pool, and getting wild. But time at home with our kitties is also crucial to productivity and creativity. Plus we all have sister kitties and we love them. Shout out to Momma cat Lilo and baby Burger and Tillie!
You've just embarked on your first national tour. Is there anything in particular you're looking forward to as you tour all around the country?
As an east coast surf band, were most stoked to take our sound to the golden coast!
One of the smaller spaces you'll be playing on this tour is BoonTunes in Boonton, NJ on 8/27. Is there something special about playing tight spaces like record stores and boats?
Absolutely. Smaller rooms better trap the audiences' energy. It bottle necks and smacks us in the face!
Finally, On Ludlow is absolutely one of my favorite records of this (or any) year. I can't get enough of it. Do you have any new music planned for after you're done with all of this touring?
Aw! Thanks! We're writing new tunes and testing some out on this tour. Planning to record em' all this fall. We had to let the new jams marinate a little.
High Waisted on Tour
08/26 New York, NY @ Studio at Webster Hall
08/27 Boonton, NJ @ Boontunes
08/28 Columbus, OH @ Double Happiness
08/30 Nashville, TN @ The End
08/31 St. Louis, MO @ Fubar Lounge
09/01 Lawrence, KS @ Jackpot Music Hall
09/04 Denver, CO @ Riot Fest
09/05 Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
09/07 Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo
09/09 Anaheim, CA @ Chain Reaction
09/10 San Diego, CA @ Che Cafe
09/11 Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge
09/13 Austin, TX @ Sidewinder
09/14 Dallas, TX @ Curtain Club
09/17 Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest
9/20 Pontiac, MI @ Pike Room
09/21 Cleveland, OH @ Mahall’s
09/22 Buffalo, NY @ Studio at Waiting Room
09/23 Toronto, ON @ Sneaky Dee’s
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