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WILLARD
GRANT CONSPIRACY
James
Apt
(guitarist)
 The core of WGC is made up of Robert Fisher and Paul Austin. How did the two of you meet? How did the other members join the band ?
Robert and Paul and I have known each other for what seems like eons. I can't remember having met either of them for the first time for the same reason I can't remember the first time I ever tried ice cream. It just seems like something that has always simply "been". Robert is mango sorbet, Paul is French vanilla and I am an ice cube.
The name of your band refers to a conspiracy, and on the first two albums, the names of the members are not given. Was WGC from the outset planned to be a core (Robert, Paul) with many acquaintances orbiting it ?
Yes, undoubtedly.
What bands did you play in before forming WGC ? What were the influences on these bands ?
A series of what, I guess, could only be called garage bands because we never seemed to make it out from behind the lawn mower and pitchforks. The names are carefully stored away but cannot be revealed for either fame or money I'm afraid. Six Finger Satellite was my first "blip" however. I'm trying my best to be a good little low-flying aircraft.
Did you intend to play this kind of music from the outset ? What do you think of the evolution of the group after three albums ?
Yes, the music is organic in just about every aspect and is the pure reflection of the personalities involved. The evolution is merely a case of refining what we already possess so I don't foresee any sort of abrupt stylistic shift but add enough new blood and strange things happen.
In France, before the arrival of artists like Will Oldham and Vic Chesnutt, American folk-country was often seen in a negative light. What is it like in the USA ? Has that 'scene' - which seems to be very active presently - always existed ?
Something to keep in mind is that America is very huge and the part of the nation that we hail from is not known for having a lot of country and western fans. I grew up with it and like it but do not feel a particular affinity for it, preferring folk and blues much more. I think the people who understand the roots of what we are doing and can understand the concept of a hybrid will get off on it but purists and hipsters will look at it and (politely) cough. The great thing about playing with some of these people is that everyone has different tastes and it is allowed and even encouraged. Everyone we've met so far has been very nice.
You are influenced both by folk-country music and by less 'rural' groups, such as the Velvet Underground; how do you reconcile both kinds of music ?
At the risk of hurling a cliché at you, we just do what we do. There's very little analysis involved. If it sounds good we proceed and if it doesn't we move to the left or right. We try and simply trust our ears.
Similarly, the band comprises folk-oriented members (Paul Austin), electric-oriented members (James Apt) and more experimental characters (David Michael Curry). How can you combine these different personalities ?
See above.
On each album, there are digressions like firework noises for 15 minutes at the end of the first album, recordings of people talking and radio sounds on 'Flying Low', and recordings of violin between the songs on 'Mojave'. Do you enjoy creating these changes in the 'rhythm', which tend to destabilize the audience ?
We try and include those elements as a "breather" so that people can have a quite moment to themselves reflect on what they have just heard or are about to hear. If we ever thought that it would create a negative effect we would certainly think twice. We are very flattered that people choose to take the time to listen to what we have to say and try and treat them with the appropriate amount of love and respect.
Robert's lyrics are usually moody and disenchanted. What do the other members of WGC think of them?
They reflect a very real side of him. I hope people get a chance to meet the smiling, mischievous Robert that appears on a regular basis. He is a well rounded person but may well never write a simple pop lyric. I would like to think that he strives for beauty more than sorrow.
After attending several WGC concerts with different line-ups and listening to the live album ('Weevils In The Captain's Biscuit'), one feels that your songs are even more powerful onstage. Do you have the same impression? Do you enjoy playing your songs in front of an audience ?
It's real hard to tell because stage sound sucks but the audiences seem to like it and it's a real rush to have people pay attention like that. I love our audience and have encountered many wonderful people.
After touring Europe several times, what is your perception of the Old Continent? Do you feel a difference in the way your music is perceived in the different countries ?
Europeans seem more open in general. They seem to have a general fascination, both positive and negative, with American song forms. They just listen and respond which is the absolute best thing an audience can do. American audiences are also wonderful but in a totally different way. Will I sound like a tourist if I say how beautiful the scenery in Europe is? I also love the beer and mixtures of cultures. On the down side the road food is very bad and I always have to fast after returning home to rid myself of bad late night friend food. France, of course, is the exception to the food rule. Also there are a lot of places that we haven't seen that we are looking forward to getting a gander at. Please feel free to come up and introduce yourself at a show. We won't bite you, we promise !
index
/ Paul Austin / Robert
Fisher
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