longwave - taken from the twin star revolution fanzine
'…it comes in waves, it comes in waves…'
It's an exciting time in the Longwave camp. Hailing from New York but sounding as British as Radiohead or Blur, it's been a busy 6 months. First there was a tour with The Strokes which gained them respect and admiration from critics and fans alike. Then they went into the studio to record their second album. At the helm this time was Dave Fridmann, the man who has brought us records by Weezer, The Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev, and although we've yet to hear it, rumours are that it's going to be one of the great records of the autumn. The band are at the beginning of something special, so on the eve of going into the recording studio we picked the brains of singer/guitarist/songwriter Steve Schiltz to find out a bit more…
So, you've been together for about 3 years now, how did it all start?
Our drummer Mike (James) and I went to high school together in Rochester, New York and we were friends
that happened to play music. It was a good time and that was why we did it. The first song we
played together was "Back in Black". When the other guys came along we would play any place
we could in New York, just to have fun and get our friends to come. I met Shannon (Ferguson
, guitar) and Dave (Marchese, Bass) in New York and somewhere around then we all kind of
decided that the thing was worth our putting real effort into it.
For a band from New York, which seems to have it's own distinct sound at the moment, your
music seems to buck the trend. It's said to 'owe much to the pessimistic side of Britpop'.
Has British music been a big influence on what you're trying to put across?
Sure,
Radiohead is big for us, obviously, as are The Smiths, The Stone Roses, The Clash,
The Cure etc etc". And what kind of music did you listen to whilst growing up? "I
listened to a lot of Beatles, Doors, and Moody Blues as a result of my parents. When
I got older it was Nirvana, The Pixies, U2, and 'The Bends' by Radiohead. All of these
were big ones for all of us and like anything that makes an impact on you, you want to
copy it initially and you hold yourself up to it to frame what you are doing. We still
talk about wanting to make 'The Bends'
Casting your mind back to 2000…you we're a hard working, touring band with a great
debut album ('Endsongs'), but people didn't seem to listen as much as they are now.
What did it feel like?
When we were touring for the indie record we really got a crash
course all year in what it is like to book all of the tours, pay for van and insurance
out of our own pockets, lose jobs because of the tours, sleep on shady new friends' floors,
and come home broke. It is one of the things new bands go through and we still are...that
first year was the most educational in that we really did every single thing ourselves.
Since that time, your music seems to have moved away from 'indie' to something a bit
deeper…
i am happy that you think so, first. We all learned a lot about who we are as
people and what we want to do together after we did "Endsongs". That record was made a bit prematurely, i would say. We
have simply learned a little more about using more interesting guitar and drum sounds on the songs and how I want to sing
the things.
So what can we expect from the new album then?
Well, "Exit" will be on it, re-recorded. The songs are more concise
musically and lyrically, I think, and we are really going to be shooting for making a dynamic rock record,
with ups and downs, and with interesting sounds."
Dave Fridmann, the producer, has a huge reputation. As a musician, do you feel pressure working with someone of that
stature?
It is crazy and exciting and stressful and mind blowing all at once. We are just trying to think about doing
our job, getting the songs right, before going in. I think we will really enjoy the recording and i expect to learn a lot.
Finally before we go, how do you see things panning out for you in the future?
I would like to have a career of records
that are different from each other. We write a lot and want to issue multiple B-sides on our singles the way our favourite
bands do. Our goal is to make great rock music that you would like to hear on the radio but that does not sound like
Celine Dion or rap metal.
And you can't ask for more than that, can you? Buy into Longwave, and you buy into intelligent music made by intelligent, adorable people. Their train leaves from platform 2 in 30 seconds, so you'd better run…