Two weeks after the September 11th attacks a good friend of mine (Heather K) sent me a little care package with a four song EP by some boys that were members of Jonathan Fire*Eater. I slapped the disk in not really know what to expect. My room filled with this fucking incredible stir of ringing piano notes and lo-fi drumming. It reminded me of Fall at first… but I found myself hearing a bit of this and that throughout the four-song disc and I had to listen to it again. The moody vocal croon captivated me the second time around and I pictured Hamilton (singer) on the balls of his feet, giving his fucking all on every track.

On April 1st of 2002, a cold Monday evening, I, along with 18 other people, had the opportunity to catch the Walkmen live in Detroit. I left that evening knowing that I had just caught an act that is making all the right moves to take the development of record making back to it's roots.

Within two weeks of the show I contacted Hamilton at his day job via email, and asked politely if I could conduct this interview. I give you the Walkmen.

Interview conducted via email by Motor City Rollie.

Name: Hamilton (vocals)
Band: The Walkmen

Rollie: How did this project come together?
Hamilton: Both of our old bands fell apart around the same time. We were all friends and liked each others' music so we started playing together. It seemed to work so we kept going.

R: Is it true that you and Walter are cousins?
H: Yep. We grew up literally across the street from each other.

R: The label, Star Time... I touted this label as being "the one" to watch in 2002. How did the Walkmen jump on board with them and are you aware of their up incoming status?
H: I was not aware, no. They seem to be doing well now though. He just called me a while ago right when we were forming. My good friends the French Kicks were doing something with him so we decided what the heck.

R: You've been (member's of your group have been) involved in other bands on big labels. Did your (their) experiences with that encourage the Walkmen to go the route of the smaller label? Would you ever go to a large label should the opportunity present itself?
H: Sure. It really just depends on the deal. We'd go with anyone who would give us a good deal.

R: Do you feel a part of a musical "scene" right now? Do you have any feelings on being lumped in with a bunch of other NY bands right now?
H: I don't know. I didn't really mind it at first, but now it's just slightly irritating that all of our press centers around the scene and not the band or the music.

R: Some of your early shows were at Joe's Pub, why that venue? Isn't it more of a supper club than a grimy indie club?
H: Our friend books it. It was just an easy place to start. They have great sound, but I can't stand playing there. It's not a rock show at all, it's like playing for a sit-down dinner.

R: I believe I saw you guys live after a six-week tour in early April. How extensive was your trek across the states and what kind house crowds did you encounter?
H: It went well. We played all across the states, minus the southeast. California and the whole west coast was a highlight. We'll be back there soon. I think by the time we got to Detroit we were so tired we were having real trouble keeping it together.

R: What would be the best and worst experience on the road thus far?
H: Worst--oh that's easy. We opened for Tanya Donelly in Glasgow and played a fantastic show. The crowd loved it. We broke our record in merchandise sales. I think Tanya may have been having a bit of an "off" night. The next night we trekked all the way to Manchester to open for her again, only to find out she'd had us thrown off the bill! It was a real downer. Especially after our agent had already botched another show over there earlier that week. The weather and food were not helping either.

R: How have the responses been with overseas audiences?
H: Well when we've actually played it's been great. I think our last London show was the best one we've ever played. We're going to do all of Europe in the fall so I am really looking forward to that.

R: I have to ask... Is it true that one member of the band accidentally broke another member's arm in a arm wrestling match or was that just a rumor?
H: Yeah I broke Paul's arm in an arm wrestling match. We're not big arm wrestlers, so I think we were doing something wrong. It just snapped. The x-ray looked like a bugs bunny cartoon...the bone was completely split in half. I still get chills thinking about it.

R: Are the Walkmen consciously going for a specific sound?
H: Not consciously.

R: On stage do you take on a specific stage persona? Are there any conscious attempts on your part (the Walkmen) to be perceived a certain way, or attempts that you're willing to admit to?
H: We're just being ourselves. We used to be more calm and quiet, but now we just let it all out.

R: How does your songwriting process work? How do the Walkmen write their songs? Is it a collaborative effort?
H: Usually Paul will come in with an initial idea and we'll all take it from there. Walt does a lot of the drum stuff and I do all the vocals.

R: Tell me about your studio. I understood that a great deal of your recordings have all taken place there. Was it built to have "true freedom" in the recording process?
H: Yeah, it was built so that we could start as a recording project before we played live. Without the studio we really wouldn't be able to try new sounds like we do. We've never recorded anywhere else.

R: Are the Walkmen constantly working on new material? Do you record songs often, especially since they have your own studio?
H: Yeah, we're always doing new stuff, but the damn studio has been booked for so long now we've only practiced three or four times since our tour.

R: I noticed that you only had a producer come in for two tracks "Wake UP" and "We've Been Had." Do you prefer to produce your work on your own?
H: Actually Greg just did more engineering. He was just a friend who had been doing good work for a long time, so we hired him for our first couple of sessions. He was a big help in learning how to use our own gear.

R: Are there any plans to work with a producer in the near future?
H: It looks like major labels pretty much require it. I like the idea. Some of the guys are more hesitant. I think it would be really hard to find someone we could work with, but it could really be a great step.

R: Why the attraction to vintage instruments? What does it bring to the music?
H: Oh, I guess we just think the ones we have sound better than new ones. I have a new Rickenbacker and it just does not sound as good as the old jazzmaster I usually use.

R: What other types of music influence you besides rock?
H: Not much probably.

R: What do is your take on people comparing you to various existing bands? U2, etc?
H: U2's fine. They aren't my favorite, but it's definitely a fair comparison. I like their old stuff more. I don't see the similarities as much as other people, but so many have said it now I couldn't deny it.

R: What are some of the influences from the pop and rock genres?
H: Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Bjork, although I can't stand that new album, the Rolling Stones, Joy Division, mainly for the drumming, U2, the Royal Trux… I can't think of any others

R: Matt has a very interesting drumming style... how would you describe it?
H: Wow, I don't know how to field this one.

R: If you were pressed to describe it, what should be said? How does it feel to have that presence behind you during a show? Is he somehow the anchor for the band, much like Topper was for the Clash?
H: I guess I would say that he plays really loud. Louder than any other drummer I know. He's not the biggest guy in the world but he pounds on the drums harder than anyone else I've seen in a long time. I think the drummers we try to emulate most are the guy from Joy Division, maybe a little bit the guy from U2... not as much... I don't really know. He's definitely got his own style.

R: Why are the lyrics not printed anywhere, at least not on the site or on the album? If we were to see them, would we find certain themes pop up in the lyrics?
H: I don't think the lyrics are that important. In England they were always asking what the songs were about and I would say "Oh that one's not about anything," and they would be disappointed. But I don't think it makes any difference in the quality of the song.

R: MTV recently did a little blurb on the band. How has that attention and other press coverage affected the group, especially since some of you guys have been through this before with Jonathan Fire*Eater? How do you deal with going through the "hype" a second time?
H: I thought the MTV piece was good. We don't have the ridiculous hype of Jonathan Fire Eater and for that we're all glad. We've only gotten what we've earned so far and I would like it to stay that way.

R: What do you consider to be success?
H: Writing and recording full-time.

R: Are you looking to breakthrough? I know that it's a silly question to ask, but what would the reaction be if the songs made it to the radio or the video gets heavy rotation on MTV?
H: Fine if it helps us keep doing what we're doing.

R: What do they think about the current state of the music industry?
H: I don't think any of us have any idea.

R: What would your response be if someone called your work "precious dilettante rock"?
H: What does that mean?

R: I should have explained this question a little better. I was engaged in a heated musical debate about the Walkmen's debut album. A friend of mine was very moved by your live set, but wasn't very moved by the music at home. He regarded/labeled the music as "precious dilettante rock;" dilettante meaning an admirer or lover of the arts or a person having a superficial interest in an art or a branch of knowledge. It was really just a rude rebuttal on his behalf that I didn't agree with. I wanted to record you're knee jerk reaction to the tag of "precious dilettante rock."
H: I am not sure how to approach that. No, I disagree? We've been playing in bands all our lives. I played in the loudest crap-rock band in high school. Walt, Paul, and Matt were in a loud ska band called the Ignobles when we were in high school. Pete played outright punk/metal in a band called Fuzz. He was the wailing lead guitar player and he barked into the microphone like a dog. We've played a lot of different stuff. I don't think anyone who's ever met us would say we were "precious." If your friend means we do it so that we can look good or act cool doing it, I would ask him to consider that we've been doing this in all different forms since the 5th grade. Everyone's been in at least three or four bands. We want to keep doing it because we genuinely like writing music. We're going to be doing it for a long time because we simply like coming up with new sounding stuff. Our sound will change. Maybe he'll like the next album.

R: Last question. Which of the following -men groups do you like: Meatmen, Minutemen, Dead Milkmen.
H: I guess Dead Milkmen because I like the title, "Big Lizard in My Back Yard."