Interview :: Red Wire Black Wire [5.28.10]

Red Wire Black Wire hit our radar last summer and haven't left since. From the same synth-finishing school, Wesleyan, as MGMT, Boy Crisis and Amazing Baby, Red Wire Black Wire traded some emails with us about insecurity, 1990s action flicks and their commitment to honesty, even in moments of amorality. You can enter to win a copy of the band's debut LP by sending us an email until 5pm today with "RWBW" in the subject.

32feet: Top five Desert Island Records?

5. The Cure – Disintegration
4. Sparklehorse – It’s A Wonderful Life
3. Pavement – Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
2. Modest Mouse – The Moon And Antartica
1. The National – Boxer

For people who don't know your music, how would you describe it in two sentences or less?

Lots of synths, guitars, up-front vocals, and other random shit layered over syncopated drum grooves and hard bass lines. Some of it is really poppy, other songs are slower, darker, and weirder.

Do you have a threshold for Wesleyan references in write-ups or interviews, where at some point you're going to flip out and scream, "We are not MGMT, okay!"? If this helps get us all closer to that moment, glad to help.

I really like Wesleyan and I really like MGMT, so it doesn’t bother me. Both of those things probably had an impact on the music we’re making. I assume 4 years of life experience and really famous contemporary bands impact most musicians making pop music. I do think we differ from a lot of the Wesleyan bands and specifically MGMT through our general avoidance of irony in our music and lyrics. Our version of "Time To Pretend" is more like, "Time To Be Disconcertingly Sincere, But First Please Poor Me A Drink So I Can Calm My Nerves."

Let's say Red Wire, Black Wire is on a sinking cruise ship and there are only two life jackets; who gets them and why?

I guess I’d throw the jackets to Zac and Dave (guitar and drums) who have been with me through the different line-ups this project has had. They are also probably the most likely ones to read this interview so that’s a factor. I’m definitely going down with the ship in this band, though.

Clear up the name for us; in my mind it's a reference to awesomely bad 1990s action-movies with explosives and disarmed bombs.

Actually, that’s pretty much it. I’m sort of a nervous wreck much of the time so I resonate with the sweat-dripping, bomb’s-gonna-blow, evacuate-the-building, vibe of those scenes.

What is one thing people don't know but should absolutely remember about your band?

We might do wrong by you, darling, but at least we won't lie about it.

Listen :: Red Wire Black Wire - "Breathing Fire