I recently had the opportunity to chat with guitarist Nick Bassett from California rock band Whirr. A group on the rise, they have a lot to talk about and even more to be excited about. With the release of their new EP, Around, a solid summer tour and a growing fanbase, Whirr is definitely a band you will be hearing a lot about in the future. Check the interview out below:
Please introduce yourself and what you do in the band.
Hello, my name is Nick, and I am the guitarist of Whirr.
Whirr is a very unique band name. I know you guys went by Whirl originally, why the change?
Lawsuits. Changed it to Whirr—much better now.
I know you guys are about to release a new record, can you tell us a little bit about it?
Sure, well, it’s definitely a lot different this time around. Totally different from Pipe Dreams. It’s a lot slower and heavier. I guess you could say not as “poppy.”
I saw that Pitchfork did a stream of the release; did it get a good response?
I really think so. From the comments I’ve read, all of our fans seem to be digging it.
How often of a “lull” period is there in between releases in regards to writing? Do the lyrics come first or the music?
It varies, really. We don’t have any sort of timeline or set schedule to follow. The music always, always comes first. The lyrics kind of just happen.
What was the music scene like growing up in Cali? Was there some sort of unified local music scene, or is everyone out there trying to make it big?
Ha, well, there is definitely a music scene. We loved growing up in Cali. We’ve all been friends since high school; we used to all skateboard together and stuff. Each one of us came from a punk and hardcore background, which is big out here.
You announced an end of summer tour all over the country with a band called Nothing. What made you choose them?
This time around it was easy. We actually toured with Nothing once before back in March. We really like them a lot, so we’re excited to go on the road with them again!
Any venues in particular you’re looking forward to the most?
Well, all of them, but maybe the show in San Francisco at the end of August. But yeah, the whole tour will be great.
How do you adjust to such long stints on the road like that, with a show night after night? Do you ever get homesick?
Nah, I don’t think so. We love to tour and play music, and we’re grateful we can do it. We love the road.
One thing I did notice is that you guys always have a very interesting tour flyer. Who designs those?
Glad you like them. We do [with] one of our friends. We wouldn’t post it if we didn’t like it!
What is the best way for your fans to reach you and see what you’re up too?
Most definitely our Facebook page; I run it mostly. We talk to our fans and update everything ourselves, so come check us out at facebook.com/whirrband.
If you could describe your group in one word and one word only, what would it be?
Loud!
You can catch Whirr on Aug. 10 at Philly’s Kung Fu Necktie and Aug. 13 at NYC’s Saint Vitus Bar. For more information, go to facebook.com/whirrband.
