"Everything was going fairly smoothly, until at the end, chaos broke loose."
Broken macbooks, lift entrapments, partying with your new label and everything else inbetween. Man Without Wax tell us all.
Altsounds - How did the band get together?
Man Without Wax - The band came together in the fall of 2006. We all knew each other from the local scene, playing together in numerous local acts. Jaded with the current music climate, we came together on the common ground of creating a unique accessible sound that was not bound by an allegiance to any one specific style or genre. Our intention was to forge our own path and craft sincere songs without preconceived limitations. The first song we ever wrote together was Kansas City Shuffle, shortly followed by "Ones & Zeroes Everywhere...".
What did you do after signing your contract with Eyeball? Did you run out and get drunk, party etc.?
We signed it at the infamous Whammy Bar and proceeded to celebrate within it's womb. Indulging ourselves in the warmhearted company of friendly comrades and consuming copious amounts of spirits.
You're on tour during August – how much input do you have into the dates and places that you play?
Right now we have full control over the dates and locations, and we feel this is a learning experience.
Chris, why is your nickname "K-Pax"? Where does that come from?
It's the name of my home planet. One of my friends found out, and it stuck ever since. Now, most people call me Paxton. K-Pax is kind of an older nickname.
What's the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to the band?
It was at the first show where we incorporated a laptop in to our set. Everything was going fairly smoothly, until at the end, chaos broke loose. Davis tripped on a chord, then fell into his keyboards that knocked over a full (and open) water bottle on to the brand new MacBook. It was an unfortunate chain of events...
The ethos of the band seems to be based on a "call to action", about thinking for yourself, not following the crowd, and making the world a different, better place to be. How do you think the average person can do their bit?
By not simply being content to be average. Enjoy your life, as eccentric as you'd like to live it, and love your brothers and sisters. Take what you are dealt, but don't take it for granted. Be an individual and don't be afraid to express your unique ideas and thoughts. Don't let the shackles of "normalcy" govern your life and influence your thoughts. Instead revel in the things that make you different because there is real beauty in imperfection. Remember that you were not put on this earth to live up to anyone else's expectations.
Do you think musicians/artists have a kind of 'duty' to use their status as a platform to change the world? Why do you think that many artists don't take this more seriously?
Not at all. It is not the duty of any sole individual to change the world, but why wouldn't you want to? The potential for greatness exists within us all but change doesn't occur with simply one person. Change occurs when people join hands and rally together under a common goal. Generally it is indifference and apathy that are the deterrents for motivation towards change. So if you have the platform and a voice that will be heard for thousands of miles and reach numerous people, then make it something worth saying.
Who is your favourite unsigned artist/band at the moment and why?
We're big fans of Bank from Boise, ID. They are longtime friends who make incredible indie pop. From Aphony is another unsigned band we really enjoy. They are a very hard working band from Seattle, whom we admire for their focus and determination.
What was the last album you bought/downloaded?
Paxton - Phantom Planet - Raise The Dead
Davis - Alkaline Trio - Agony And Irony
Chip - Weezer - Red Album
Bateson - Danger Radio - Used And Abused
Rory - Metroid - Outside Its the End of the World
Who would you most like to be stuck in a lift with, and what would you talk about?
Paxton - Rivers Cuomo (and we would talk about Pinkerton and life)
Davis - Ghandi (what's not to talk about?)
Chip - Lou Pinella (and we'd talk about the '95 dream team that the Mariners could have had)
Bateson - The Creators of Lost (and I'd ask them how the show ends)
Rory - Robert Johnson (So I could find out if he really did sell his immortal soul to the devil) or Skwisgaar Skwigelf (He could teach me to shred in my sleep).
Who are your influences (as artists, not just musicians - ie authors, painters, journalists, politicians)?
As a band, we are heavily influenced by artists who live and breathe their art. Artists who aren't afraid of stepping away from the norm. Musically, we are very fortunate to have grown up in a local scene with incredible bands. Seattle really has it's own sound, and we took from that while adding our own twist. Our goal is for someone to hear our song to come on someone's stereo, and for them to immediately associate it as Man Without Wax.
Any funny anecdotes?
Funny anecdotes? Hmm... when brainstorming for band names - Chip's Dad suggested Twisted Hammock. This became such a inside joke with the band, that when we got the mastered version of our album - we labeled it as Twisted Hammock on our iPods to avoid anyone stealing it.
what was recording "Anchor" like?
Recording our album was a ton of fun. We live for being in the studio, and we couldn't have been happier to work with Casey Bates who did our demos. Casey really becomes a member of the band during the process. Between recording we would spend time playing guitar hero, drinking a lot of beer, and watching the "Warewolf Bar Mitzvah" scene with Tracy Morgan from 30 Rock. If anyone is unfamiliar with the skit, you might be able to hear us singing it in the bridge of "Adam & Evil" during the solo. Before we hit the studio, we made sure to do extensive pre-production. We knew our songs front to back before Casey would dissect them with us. He keeps a really chill environment, as the studio is in the basement of his house. This created a relaxed creative atmosphere, where were able to push ourselves to make the best record possible.
Why Anchor?
We chose to name our album Anchor because it's symbolism. With it's use in navigation, it was regarded in ancient times as a symbol of safety. Man Without Wax is our anchor.
http://www.myspace.com/manwithoutwax
Altsounds - How did the band get together?
Man Without Wax - The band came together in the fall of 2006. We all knew each other from the local scene, playing together in numerous local acts. Jaded with the current music climate, we came together on the common ground of creating a unique accessible sound that was not bound by an allegiance to any one specific style or genre. Our intention was to forge our own path and craft sincere songs without preconceived limitations. The first song we ever wrote together was Kansas City Shuffle, shortly followed by "Ones & Zeroes Everywhere...".
What did you do after signing your contract with Eyeball? Did you run out and get drunk, party etc.?
We signed it at the infamous Whammy Bar and proceeded to celebrate within it's womb. Indulging ourselves in the warmhearted company of friendly comrades and consuming copious amounts of spirits.
You're on tour during August – how much input do you have into the dates and places that you play?
Right now we have full control over the dates and locations, and we feel this is a learning experience.
Chris, why is your nickname "K-Pax"? Where does that come from?
It's the name of my home planet. One of my friends found out, and it stuck ever since. Now, most people call me Paxton. K-Pax is kind of an older nickname.
What's the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to the band?
It was at the first show where we incorporated a laptop in to our set. Everything was going fairly smoothly, until at the end, chaos broke loose. Davis tripped on a chord, then fell into his keyboards that knocked over a full (and open) water bottle on to the brand new MacBook. It was an unfortunate chain of events...
The ethos of the band seems to be based on a "call to action", about thinking for yourself, not following the crowd, and making the world a different, better place to be. How do you think the average person can do their bit?
By not simply being content to be average. Enjoy your life, as eccentric as you'd like to live it, and love your brothers and sisters. Take what you are dealt, but don't take it for granted. Be an individual and don't be afraid to express your unique ideas and thoughts. Don't let the shackles of "normalcy" govern your life and influence your thoughts. Instead revel in the things that make you different because there is real beauty in imperfection. Remember that you were not put on this earth to live up to anyone else's expectations.
Do you think musicians/artists have a kind of 'duty' to use their status as a platform to change the world? Why do you think that many artists don't take this more seriously?
Not at all. It is not the duty of any sole individual to change the world, but why wouldn't you want to? The potential for greatness exists within us all but change doesn't occur with simply one person. Change occurs when people join hands and rally together under a common goal. Generally it is indifference and apathy that are the deterrents for motivation towards change. So if you have the platform and a voice that will be heard for thousands of miles and reach numerous people, then make it something worth saying.
Who is your favourite unsigned artist/band at the moment and why?
We're big fans of Bank from Boise, ID. They are longtime friends who make incredible indie pop. From Aphony is another unsigned band we really enjoy. They are a very hard working band from Seattle, whom we admire for their focus and determination.
What was the last album you bought/downloaded?
Paxton - Phantom Planet - Raise The Dead
Davis - Alkaline Trio - Agony And Irony
Chip - Weezer - Red Album
Bateson - Danger Radio - Used And Abused
Rory - Metroid - Outside Its the End of the World
Who would you most like to be stuck in a lift with, and what would you talk about?
Paxton - Rivers Cuomo (and we would talk about Pinkerton and life)
Davis - Ghandi (what's not to talk about?)
Chip - Lou Pinella (and we'd talk about the '95 dream team that the Mariners could have had)
Bateson - The Creators of Lost (and I'd ask them how the show ends)
Rory - Robert Johnson (So I could find out if he really did sell his immortal soul to the devil) or Skwisgaar Skwigelf (He could teach me to shred in my sleep).
Who are your influences (as artists, not just musicians - ie authors, painters, journalists, politicians)?
As a band, we are heavily influenced by artists who live and breathe their art. Artists who aren't afraid of stepping away from the norm. Musically, we are very fortunate to have grown up in a local scene with incredible bands. Seattle really has it's own sound, and we took from that while adding our own twist. Our goal is for someone to hear our song to come on someone's stereo, and for them to immediately associate it as Man Without Wax.
Any funny anecdotes?
Funny anecdotes? Hmm... when brainstorming for band names - Chip's Dad suggested Twisted Hammock. This became such a inside joke with the band, that when we got the mastered version of our album - we labeled it as Twisted Hammock on our iPods to avoid anyone stealing it.
what was recording "Anchor" like?
Recording our album was a ton of fun. We live for being in the studio, and we couldn't have been happier to work with Casey Bates who did our demos. Casey really becomes a member of the band during the process. Between recording we would spend time playing guitar hero, drinking a lot of beer, and watching the "Warewolf Bar Mitzvah" scene with Tracy Morgan from 30 Rock. If anyone is unfamiliar with the skit, you might be able to hear us singing it in the bridge of "Adam & Evil" during the solo. Before we hit the studio, we made sure to do extensive pre-production. We knew our songs front to back before Casey would dissect them with us. He keeps a really chill environment, as the studio is in the basement of his house. This created a relaxed creative atmosphere, where were able to push ourselves to make the best record possible.
Why Anchor?
We chose to name our album Anchor because it's symbolism. With it's use in navigation, it was regarded in ancient times as a symbol of safety. Man Without Wax is our anchor.
http://www.myspace.com/manwithoutwax
