Bare Wires Interview: SXSW 2010

Posted on Feb 15th 2010 1:02PM by Rachel Brodsky
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Oakland, Calif. band Bare Wires aren't exactly wide-eyed ingenues. When they're not arranging minimalist glam-punk songs and booking shows around the country, the trio is busy chilling in hot tubs (with the late Jay Reatard -- R.I.P.) or hunting down the next available bottle of bourbon. As Bare Wires prepared for their upcoming stint at SXSW, we sat down to talk shop with Matthew Melton, lead singer/songwriter and the brains behind Bare Wires.

How would you describe your sound?

We sometimes throw around the phrase "slop-pop." We take a lot from power-pop and even some glam elements, but it's pretty much just smooth punk.

How did your band get together?

I'm born and raised in Memphis, Tenn. and I moved out to California in 2006. I actually started the group in Memphis with Alicia Trout from the Lost Sounds -- we were a duo. And then I up and moved to California, and I've basically been trying to hold down a steady band ever since I got there. The people I play with now (Nathan Price and Brian Johnson), they've got it, man. I've got two cool guys now that I'm touring with. They're a lot of fun to play with.

Have you been in Oakland the whole time?

Well, I started out in San Francisco, but that place kind of just spit me out into Oakland. [Oakland] is more desolate and kind of a worse city. So I was attracted to it because it was similar to Memphis in a lot of ways. It's totally the Brooklyn of the Bay Area. I actually played a show at a house party in Oakland and ended up moving in to that actual house because I liked it so much. I was like, "Man, I love it over here! I wanna move here," and [the tenants] were like "Well, there's this room opening up, like, tomorrow."

Who are your musical influences?

I've always been attracted to the production on a lot of glam-rock music. Gary Glitter, Sweet and early Slade. So I like taking elements from that but making it a lot more sincere, kind of like Arthur Lee in Love and Alex Chilton and Big Star.

How did you come up with the name Bare Wires?

Alicia actually named the band when we started it together. It's from a John Mayall album, but I don't think we're actually referencing that. I just always felt like the best music I could make was simple and minimal, so that just kind of fit.

What's your touring schedule been like lately?

Well, lately I've been trying to get a real band together in the Bay Area, and I finally made it happen. We actually just shot down to play Monterey, Los Angeles and San Diego. We played in Oakland last night, and now we're going up to play a cool garage festival in Portland, Ore. called the Bender, which is at a place called Slab Town. Coming up is our first big real US tour, where we're going to New York and back.

Any crazy tour stories?

Oh, man. One time I was drinking vodka in a hot tub with Jay Reatard and a bunch of other people, and we were doing a lot of other things we probably shouldn't have been doing. And so I slid down the steps, 'cause they were wet, and I knocked one of my teeth out on the railing 'cause I was so wasted. That's a personal mishap. But there really is something to that "don't drink in the hot tub" thing.

Tell me your musical guilty pleasure.

I would say that Styx song "Too Much Time on My Hands." Every time we hear it on the radio we go crazy.

Who was your first celebrity crush?

I think I fell in love with Nikki Corvette when I was 16. I think I'm still very much in love with her, although she's not looking as good as she used to, I'll tell you that.

At SXSW, things tend to get a little sweaty. So what's in your festival survival kit?

We're bringing a lot of Jameson, a lot of California marijuana, and other than that we're basically going to wing it. We're trying to go there really unprepared. When you're unprepared you always seem to meet more interesting people. The journey will unfold.

Rachel Brodsky is a contributor from Seed.com. Learn how you can contribute here.