With last year’s Wavvves, Wavves, the lo-fi darling helmed by Nathan Williams, established a blend of dirty, distorted surf rock noise that became a solid favorite for many and a source of migraines for some. But for the third go around, Williams is back with a new backing band, some high quality production value, and even a little heterosexual guy love.
In an interview with Pitchfork, Williams said that the new album, tentatively titled King of the Beach, would be a marked departure (which you knew already) from the gritty, high-energy DIY style he had created in the first two albums.
“The last thing I wanted to do was record the same record again,” Williams said. ” I wanted to just do something completely different. That was the beginning of the whole thing. But once I got into it, it wasn’t even about recording a different record, necessarily. I was just trying to make the best record that I could, and I think that’s what we did.”
That meant getting an actual producer (gasp!) and there’s arguably no more interesting choice than Dennis Herring, the man who has done production for Counting Crows and Modest Mouse. Herring’s influence means a much more crisp record, according to Williams.
Undoubtedly adding to the stress is the new band of Stephen Pope and Billy Hayes, who were originally Jay Reatard’s back-up. But while working with the genius behind Counting Crows is nerve-wracking, the new band and Williams seemed to gel immediately. Perhaps too well, in fact.
“It was the best experience I’ve had recording, ever,” Williams said. “It was so much fun. It was really cool to actually do it with other people this time. Obviously, I’ve previously recorded everything myself. To have some input from a couple of other people was really cool, and to have them there supporting. Everybody’s in the same boat, either floating or drowning. It was a real bonding experience. We all sat in a bed together and hugged each other with our shirts off.”
But just because he’s got some new, um, friends doesn’t mean he won’t still work with some older buds. Williams also confirmed he’d finished recording an album with Hella’s Zach Hill and is waiting for it to be released, which he may well do himself.
King of the Beach is scheduled to hit stores August 3rd via Fat Possum.
