by Joe Fielder
The last time we interviewed Wendy Wang of happy/sad indie pop act The Sweet Hurt, it was around the time of the release event for her Where Would You Go? EP. Earlier this week, we spoke with her about the recent release of her self-titled album and the many other bands that she plays with. Read both!
Hey, Wendy. How you been? Congrats on the album release!
I'm doing well! Thank you, sir!
How long was it in the works? When did you start working on these songs?
The pre-production, recording, mixing, and mastering spanned from October 2009 to March 2010. I started writing songs for it right after "In The Shade Of Dreams", which came out in June 2008. I wrote new songs for it all the way up until January 2010.
What do you think is the biggest difference between these songs and your earlier material (the two EPs)?
This album is much more cohesive. EPs are like running 5Ks and albums are like running marathons. Or like the PSAT vs. the SAT. But really, I had to have a clearer and stricter path than the ones I took for the 2 previous releases to get the album done. Dan Long, my co-producer, was a big help with that. Because the process and mindset was more structured, the songs came out sounding, or at least I hope, like they belonged together.
It sounds like you have a love of pop music, singer-songwriters, and maybe even a little country. (I think I heard some pedal steel in there.)
Yeah, I love all those genres. There's actually no pedal steel on this album, unfortunately, but there is some slide guitar! I love pop, top 40, the hits of the decades, Led Zeppelin (that's for The Californian). I really like singer-songwriters, like Nick Drake, Elliott Smith, Justin Vernon, Beyonce... I'm relatively new to country, but many current bands that I love are heavily influenced by country music. On tour last year, I listened to a lot of Dolly Parton.
Who did you work with on the album?
Oh man, there were so many people involved. Well let's start with Dan Long, he engineered, co-produced, and mixed the album. He makes things sound beautiful. Jake Blanton wrote one of my all-time favorite songs, "By The Time". And he let me cover it! I first heard it 5 years ago when Mike Green (drummer) told me to check out his Kansas City friend's music. Jake also sang, played guitar, piano, and bass. Ben Jaffe took time away from rocking the world as 1/2 of honeyhoney and helped me with the words for "Things Fall Apart" and "How Does It Feel". He's a clever one. He also played drums on HDIF.
Priscilla Ahn is a bizarre talent. I remember the first time I saw her play. Everything was impeccable and she had a voice that gave angels wings. So fast-forward a few years, we somehow ended up writing a song together, "Maybe Someday". She also sang on a bunch of tunes. Bram Inscore played bass and cello. I love his song "Messages" and recorded a cover of it, for a different project I'm doing. He plays with Beck, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Ja Prawn, and can be heard in the Scott Pilgrim movie. We are both in Obi Best. I think he's brilliant. John Graney (from The Californian) - mandolin and vocals. This guy can sing! And cook! Oh man can he cook. I want to Karaoke with him.
Alex Lilly of Obi Best sang and played keys. Her new EP is on heavy rotation in my car. Daphne Chen of Section Quartet played violin. She has played on so many records that I love, like on Sam Phillips' records. Josh Adams, a good friend of Jake Blanton's, played drums and percussion. He's a vintage denim buff. Jonathan Price of The Henry Clay People and I Make This Sound played keys. He is a huge nerd. It's awesome.
Mike Green played drums and sang. You'd never expect his singing voice and speaking voice to sound different from each other. He is also a 80s music expert. During a car ride on tour he gave me a history of the Cocteau Twins and listed all of their albums in chronological order.
Gabe Noel played bass and cello. What a freakishly talented musician. Last time I saw him play he was onstage with Michel Gondry. He's got a great project called "Rhoda". Ethan Holtzman played accordion. He's in Dengue Fever. Whenever I visit him and his wife, they've always got the coolest and most obscure music playing.
Bobby Choy is a Korean Pop star and he sang on "How Does It Feel". He has a project called Big Phony. He's one of the sweetest people I know. Basically, I highly admire every person who played on the album.
How many other bands are you part of right now? How do you juggle all of them? What do you like the most of each project?
I'm not a full-time member in many bands anymore. For a time it was crazy and I was always at rehearsal or learning songs. For now, I play with Obi Best, The Bird & The Bee, and Priscilla Ahn. I sit in with other bands and artists. Most recently I've played with Charlie Wadhams, Henry Wolfe, The Californian, Brie Stoner, and Patrick Park. I am very good about keeping my calendar up-to-date and handy at all times.
Obi Best - My musical heroes are in this band. Barbara Gruska, Bram Inscore, Aaron Arntz, and Alex Lilly. They are amazing people and loyal friends.
The Bird & The Bee - Ok, well my musical heroes are in this band too. Aaron Redfield and Justin Meldahl-Johnsen joined the group in January when we started the Hall & Oates covers. Everyone in that group is so ridiculously talented that it's infuriating. I learn so much from everyone in that group; from the way they play to how they carry themselves.
Priscilla Ahn - She is one of my best friends and I get to play and sing with her. Last year, she let me tour the world with her too!
You also do production work at Red Rockets Glare, correct? Who have you been recording?
Yeah! We started recording honeyhoney for a full-length album. It's gonna be hot.
What's next?
More recording at Red Rockets Glare. I've been building up my home studio too and recording covers and instrumentals.
Last question: Who have you been listening to lately?
Blake Mills, Little Dragon, Scott Pilgrim Soundtrack and Score, the new Obi Best record, Yellow Red Sparks, Ja Prawn, Miniature Tigers, Peter Wolf Crier, The Black Keys
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Photo by Jeff Koga.
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