Band Interview: The Whigs

Fans of good old rock-n-roll get an all-new doo and a wild weave when The Whigs roll into your town playing songs from their ATO Records debut, MISSION CONTROL. This Athens, GA trio is winning over friends and fans with their intense and explosive rock and roll energy. This high-energy gang is fronted by Parker Gispert on guitar, lead vocals, and keyboard; with Julian Dorio on drums and Tim Deaux on bass guitar.

Critics have praised MISSION CONTROL as "a collection of rousing rock n roll fundamentals ... tightly constructed tunes, wiry guitar shards and ecstatic, beer-soaked choruses." We will second all those bravos, and add that The Whigs are excellent. They are a technically superior band to the grunge garage hacks you used to see in your college days, without losing any of the sweaty wild fun. Front man Parker has a great rock growl - equal parts Frank Black and Ornery Grizzly, unleashing it all over twangy melodies, feisty licks, and catchy hooks.

A raucous thirty-seven minutes of fun, MISSION CONTROL follows up the band's critically acclaimed self-released effort, GIVE 'EM ALL A BIG FAT LIP, and was produced by Rob Schnapf (Beck, Elliot Smith). Dig Philly caught up with Julian Dorio, The Whigs phenomenal drummer, who was till riding high from their fantastic performance on Tuesday's "The Late Show with David Letterman."

DP: Where are you right now?
Julian Dorio: Somewhere in VA on our way to Chapel Hill, We are kind of going back down south, then going up north. This tour started in January, after a break from the holidays.

DP: You guys have a grueling tour schedule.
JD: We do, but it is well worth it. All we do is tour and travel, but it doesn't really phase us. It is a piece of cake on the eastern side of the country, but on the west where everything is spread out it is so brutal.

DP: You were in New York on Tuesday for a pretty important moment.
JD: Yeah, we were on Letterman. It was the weirdest thing ever.

DP: Weird bad or weird surreal?
JD: Surreal, it wasn't weird bad. It was exhilarating and interesting. You really get to see how they do the show. It's not live, but it is done in real time. So everything happens really quick and precise. No retakes. It was really wild we are used to playing at nighttime, so this was bizarre playing in the afternoon. It was totally fun, and the way it feels...well, there is nothing you can experience that is similar to what being on TV feels like.

DP: You've been playing drums since you were 7, so this success must be a real high.
JD: When I was really young it was a dream of mine to play music and perform, or be on a show like Letterman - but when you are playing music at 6 or 7 you don't know what you are doing...it's kind of like saying you are an astronaut and you don't know what that means.... It takes a lot of skill and hard work to get ahead in the music business. But that is why it all works; you grow up and you keep that wishful thinking, that mentality. Even know it is harder then it seems, it is hard to prepare to fulfill those dreams. We tour relentlessly and play shows every night. You practice and practice and really try to nail it.

DP: So when did you realize this was a "career" and not just fun?

JD: I think even though we have more going for us now then when we started, we have always been fairly serious. It was always important to us. Sure, many things have come together, our first album, getting picked up by ATL... These things solidify the chances of your band having a little bit of lifelong career. Still, even when we played our fist show in Athens, we never threw it away. Every show and performance is a big deal to us. That kind of attitude trickles down: How you approach your show, how you approach you practices, how you approach your music.

DP: Is being another Athens' band a blessing or curse?
JD: Outside of Athens people know it is what is is...they perk up when they hear you are from Athens. Maybe it goes both ways too; they can listen to it and say "Their no REM...." Athens produces some amazing bands...within the town; there is a healthy competitive nature. If you are playing a show and writing tunes, and you don't entertain the crowd-they are gone. There is something great the next bar over. Athens is not a town with just 5 bands; the populace of Athens has a lot to choose from musically.

DP: You still feel the band developing and growing?
JD: I think there is growth, we are honing our craft and getting better at it...we are trio, and want to be able to perform it that way. If we can't play a song live, we don't want to even play it in a studio. You can't play live, and then you shouldn't be playing. I think we have developed some new tricks and have grown as musicians, absolutely. Our music has definitely evolved, but our attitudes and dedication have not.

www.myspace.com/thewhigs