Wye Oak: The Zombie Contingent's Choice

Wye Oak are in China for shows in Shanghai and Beijing this weekend as part of an Asia tour, and we're as excited as they are. We managed to grab a word last week with one half of the Baltimore duo, Jenn Wasner. She was happy to tell us about their intimate lyrics, her mom knowing too much about her, and the sudden popularity spike that comes when you're featured in top US zombie drama The Walking Dead.

Are you excited about the tour?
I couldn't be more excited about it. I've wanted to visit those parts of the world for as long as I can remember and it's kind of hard to believe it's actually happening.

I must admit that the first time I heard you guys was through The Walking Dead. I know that's a bit rubbish–
No, that's cool!

Really? You're okay with that? How do you feel about the sudden exposure that the show brought?
It really took us by surprise how many people were coming to shows and sending us emails saying: 'Oh my God! I found out about you guys from The Walking Dead!' So we have a pretty large zombie contingent. I don't think we realized until then how big the show was. All of a sudden these fans started coming out of the woodwork. But yeah, I think that any way that you can get people to listen to your music and feel moved by it, like a lot of people did through the show, you can only be happy about it.

Did you watch the show before?
I've been planning on it for probably the past year. I'm hoping on this tour I'll get the time to do it. I usually find time to watch some TV on tour because you get a lot of downtime, so maybe this will be the time.

Is it annoying when people ask you the meaning of a song or lyric?
No ... unless you're my mom. For the most part, if someone asks me about a particular lyric, it's because they've got a really good story about what it meant to them or how it touched them at a particular time in their life. I like hearing their stories so I really don't mind giving my stories in return.

I read in another interview with you that you love the idea of people having their own perception of your work.
Yeah, it's part of the reason I'm a songwriter. It's an exercise in shaping something personal and specific into something that's universal. The whole point is that if you've done it well, then people should be touched by it in a really personal way.

Then you would love a website I came across called Songmeanings.net. People write in with what they think the lyrics to a song mean. The entry for "Civilian" is a doozie.
Oh man! I really need to see that. I think I would love that.

When your lyrics are so personal, can it be uncomfortable explaining them?
Absolutely, yes. Luckily I can often just bluff my way around really specific personal stuff without naming names or giving anything away. But then there are some people, like my mom, who just kind of know what I'm talking about.

So how did you feel about the way "Civilian" was used in the show?
I have watched it, but I don't feel I have any context for the characters of the show itself. But I feel it was a really well-done scene, really powerful.

You don't seem to like some of the names that your style of music is given, but how would you define your sound. Or do you prefer not to?
It's funny I'm reading this book right now called The Artist's Way, and there's a quote in it that goes something along the lines of, "Given the choice of a label, most artists would prefer none."

Because nobody likes to be pigeonholed.
I think it's more just hearing something that you've worked on, and that you figure is so complex and layered, hearing that boiled down to ... really anything, because it's mostly something that's intended as a compliment, or just a descriptor. But hearing it boiled down in such a way is never really gonna be pleasant. It seems like an oversimplifictaion.

If you weren't a musician, what would you be?
My child brain says marine biologist. But knowing myself and what my actual skills and strengths are, I'd probably be in the interminable graduate school program of some dropout academia bullsh*t.

What type of question do you wish you were asked more often?
I think if I had my way, I'd probably just talk about American football.

As an Englishman, I don't think there's anything I could offer there.
That's okay. Very few people outside of America give a sh*t about American football, and very few people in America who like music give a sh*t about American football.

What was the last thing you read?
I'm in the middle of that book I mentioned The Artist's Way, but the last book that I straight-up finished was a new book about Scientology called Going Clear.

Any particular reason you picked that up?
I was on tour with my boyfriend and his band, and they were reading it out loud in the van. On the way home, I got myself a copy because that sh*t is crazy and now I can't put it down.

See Wye Oak perform at 2 Kolegas on Saturday May 18. Tickets cost RMB 70, and the show starts at 9pm.

Photo: Magazine.magix.com