 "Photo: Tyler Waldman/ The Towerlight")
Indie rock band Wild Light formed in 2005. Their debut album, “Adult Nights” was released in March. Their song “California On My Mind” has received significant radio play across the country. Since then, they've been touring nonstop with bands including The Killers and MGMT. Hailing from New Hampshire, the band is comprised of drummer Seth Kasper, bassists and keyboardists Timothy Kyle and Seth Pitman and guitarist and lead singer Jordan Alexander.
This is probably a little different than what you thought.
Kyle: We didn't know what it would be like until we got down here. We just knew it would be an outdoor radio thing.
Seth, you kind of improvised out there, using the guitar case and refrigerator as a drum set.
Kasper: I don't know, I just, you know, got inspired. I just got a kick out of it. I thought it was funny.
Kyle: It's a pain dragging that thing to every show. [everybody laughs] Somebody else made that joke, I just stole it from somebody. Hey, I gave credit.
Kasper: It's part of the deal, just find something around to bang on.
You would have had the full set if this were outside, right?
Kasper: Yeah, we have a trailer full of equipment ready to go, but today it wasn't in the cards. It's not really the format for this stuff.
Seth Pitman: You can't really do the in between thing. It's either acoustic or it's full on. The in between is kind of tough.
Kasper: But we've tried it and it works pretty well.
Pitman: For a few songs, we've tried it for a few songs.
So who do you guys consider to be your influences?
Kasper: Motley Crue.
Kyle: Dave Matthews.
Alexander: 2 Live Crew.
Kasper: Sheryl Crow. [laughs]
Pitman: Natalie Imbruglia.
Alexander: Hoobastank.
Kyle: Hoobastank is big.
Alexander: Insane Clown Posse is a big one. [laughs]
Kyle: Have you heard of the new supergroup called Chickenfoot? Starring Sammy Hagar, the drummer from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Joe Satriani and the bassist from Van Halen? We haven't heard their music yet, but we expect to be heavily influenced by them.
I'm only asking this because Jordan jokingly suggested this before the interview, but what's the deal with California (in “California On My Mind”)?
Alexander: Those lyrics were written down on a bad day and put to a melody that everybody finds catchy and now I get that question in every interview.
What are your influences when writing a song?
Alexander: Personally, I have no intentions when writing a song and a melody. I'm just messing around with melodies and chords and something comes out. I don't think there’s a goal of trying to write anything specific, any style. I'm not really aiming for anything, just whatever comes out.
Kyle: I'm always aiming to write the next “Stairway to Heaven” every time I sit down and play guitar.
Pitman: Me too.
Alexander: I don't think he's written the next “Stairway.”
Kyle: And that's what keeps me going. That's what keeps me driven. [laughs]
So where have you guys been touring recently?
Alexander: We were just up the West Coast and Western Canada.
It's gotta be like whiplash, coming back east.
Kyle: It's not like you get adjusted to anywhere though, it's not like you get used to a certain area.
Alexander: Because you're sleeping in the van sometimes. As far as time zones or anything, you're just like whatever, it doesn't matter.
Pitman: The only thing you get used to is the highways.
Kyle: Yeah, I have a much better understanding of the interstate system than I did before. It's like wow, this road goes all the way to the other side of the country, just this one little road.
Are you guys working on any new stuff yet?
Kyle: Not really. Not all together, at this point. There's not really any time.
Alexander: We always have songs going in the background. If we needed to write a new song and record it, we could, because we have so much material right now.
So what's next?
Pitman: We have a tour with the Doves starting next Friday [May 15], but then after that, we don't know. Hopefully it's more of the same. Maybe a break would be nice. Say a week or two off would be great. But we're road dogs.
Kyle: Road warriors.
Alenxander: Weekend warriors.
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