White Denim | Interview

Story by Dylan Bliss 

| Published Apr 5, 2011

The sub-culture of indie rock is riddled with some strange band names. Anymore it seems they simply pick a highly distinguishable noun, maybe a household item. White Denim can count themselves among these brats, but there’s a bit more than novelty here to be enjoyed. Their most recent release, “Last Day of Summer,” was originally supposed to be a teaser/filler for fans leading to their upcoming LP, “D” “but the critics felt a little more strongly about it.

Consisting of several tracks dug up and remastered, “Last Day of Summer” contains colorful arrangements, dancing vocals, and an arsenal of varied musicians fit for a blend of upbeat jazz, blues, and folk-rock. Loyalists and newbies alike are ready for the next installment in their WD collection. Luckily, they had some answers and insight to offer the rumor mill.

You've received a lot of attention for last year's release "Last Day of
Summer." Since this was not an official LP, was the reaction a surprise?

It was not that big of a surprise, though it is always flattering when people respond positively your work. The internet is a great way for people to exchange their thoughts and concepts. Also, people generally love free stuff. To us, “Last Day of Summer” is an official LP. There is nothing that separates it from any other full length record that we have made. One day, it will see the dark of vinyl and perhaps be deemed an official release.

What kind of changes were made to create this new sound, and do you plan to
apply it to the new album, "D," or move in yet another direction?

We moved in another direction with “D.” It was recorded primarily at Lakeside Studios in Austin, Texas, and it will be our first release that we didn't record in the Imperial Mansion in Driftwood. We tracked a lot of the tracks live to tape, so the dynamic and the sound of this record is a lot different.

At least to me, some of your early work is very reminiscent of 70's rock n
roll (Jimi Hendrix and the like). How much of an influence has that genre had
on your sound?

That genre has at least 14.00 influence on our sound. I'm not sure how to measure 14.00 and I'm not sure if the max is 20 or 100, but it's a good place to start. We all grew up listening to and loving 70's rock n roll. That said, all of the well-made music from those genres is or would be a potential influence.

You've also recently added some new musicians and instruments. Explain what
their new roles bring to the table.

Austin Jenkins is our new permanent guitarist. He is an expert on his instrument and with writing parts for our songs and will be key in our new live set that we will bring on the road. We love having guest musicians on our records and will continue to do so. Alex Coke, who appears on a track on “Last Day of Summer,” also will appear on a track on “D.” We love sax, flutes and steel guitars, so be on the hear-out for those, as always.