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Texas indie-rock band Wild Party will release their debut album Phantom Pop on October 7th. They’ve been gaining a lot of buzz and will be on tour all Summer, including dates with Andrew McMahon. GroundSounds caught up with bassist Ethan Kaufmann to find out more about the band and the album. Check out the interview below and stream the track “When I Get Older.” If you’re in LA, you can catch Wild Party live tonight at The Bootleg!
How did you guys meet and form the band?
Lucas and Lincoln grew up together and started writing songs when they were little guys. Eventually I met them through Lincoln’s older brother and I loved what they were doing. We started working on the album almost immediately! I was in a band with Cary when we were way younger and it just happened we needed a bad ass drummer to join… Perfect timing.
Tell us about Phantom Pop. How long have you been working on the album and what were some of the main inspirations & themes for you?
We started the album in 2009… Lincoln and Lucas would bring in a verse or chorus and we’d just sit around and come up with different arrangements until everyone was happy. We ended up re-tracking some of the songs in 2013 whenever we did our record deal, but a lot of the first demos made the album too. I think the main theme was always just to make happy music that people could dance to…
What was it like hearing your music in an MLS promo? Were you aware they were using your song for the promo or was that a surprise?
Matt from the label had shot us an email about it beforehand… We were all really pumped. It was a great look for us.
“When I Get Older” is a great song and a perfect ‘first introduction’ to your band for many listeners. What is the story behind that track?
We were all in Brighton in what I would say was a “real piece of shit” hotel room. Lincoln started singing the chorus line over and over… It just stuck. It was a different jam, but then it transformed into its current state around early 2011.
One of the song titles on the new album sticks out in my mind, “Lo-Fi Children.” Can you give us some insight into what we can expect from this song?
I think that was the 2nd song we recorded… It’s definitely transformed quite a bit over the last few years though. The title came from the whole demo sounding pretty rough… The laptop thing made it seem appropriate.
You’ll be on tour all Summer, with some dates supporting Andrew McMahon. Andrew has been an incredibly positive and influential figure in the American music scene for quite a while. What are you most looking forward to during your tour dates with him?
All of us were really big fans growing up so we’re really excited. I think just getting to play with someone that’s inspired you is always a cool thing.
Texas is a diverse state in terms of musical landscape. What is the music scene like in Texas (and San Antonio in particular) for you as an up-and-coming band?
We’re all kind of scattered around the US at the moment. I live in LA, Cary lives in San Francisco, and Lincoln and Lucas live in San Antonio. The scene in San Antonio has always seemed to be a touch rough… Austin has some great bands though. I grew up in Dallas, and it was a really cool scene when I was younger, but I haven’t heard too much stuff come out of it recently. I think Texas is massive and filled with talent, you just gotta find it!
On a scale of 1-10, how excited were you about the Spurs championship?
100.
For anyone visiting San Antonio for the first time, what is one can’t-miss place or attraction?
The happy hour at Applebee’s is always a high point in life…
What are your plans for the rest of 2014? What are you most looking forward to?
We’re really excited about getting this album out for people to hear. We all have out a lot of time and energy into it… So it’s great to finally have that opportunity. Also getting out and playing will be a blast…
Where is the best place to stay updated with you online?
Wildpartyofficial.com is our site, but Facebook or Instagram were active on as well. Wildpartyofficial is our name on both those too.
Wild Party 2014 Tour Dates
6/25 – Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Bar
7/9 – El Paso, TX @ Tricky Falls
7/10 – Scottsdale, AZ @ The Rhythm Rom
7/12 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Club Sound**
7/13 – Ft. Collins, CO @ Aggie Theater**
7/14 – Colorado Springs, CO @ The Black Sheep**
7/16 – Omaha, NE @ The Slowdown**
7/17 – Bloomington, IL @ The Castle Theatre**
7/19 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas Tavern*
8/8 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Stone Pony**
8/9 – Lancaster, PA @ Chameleon Club**
8/30 – Grand Junction, CO @ Grand Junction Off Road
*headlining act
**w/ Andrew McMahon
Wild Party – “When I Get Older”
