Wild Cub’s Keegan DeWitt Talks “Youth,” Writing Film Scores And Their Current Tour
Max Cherry ’17 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer
Wild Cub takes a very unique approach to their music: trying to make every song feel like an old memory and evoking a wide array of emotions from their listeners.
Soon after the band released their first album, Youth almost a year ago, they began making waves with their hit single off the track, Thunder Clatter. The song reached chart success in August 2013 and quickly became ranked as the #59 single in the U.K. With the success of Thunder Clatter and Youth, Wild Cub began touring and attended major music festivals around the country including Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and SXSW. Magazines such as Rolling Stone, Spin, and Noisey have also covered the band as they continue to make a name for themselves.
Wild Cub are currently on tour with their opener Hands and will bring their show which has been described as “jubilant, ’80s-inspired synth pop and infectious” to Boston this Saturday, February 15th. Emertainment Monthly had a chance to chat with singer and founder Keegan DeWitt as he talked to us about Wild Cub’s album, Youth; writing film scores, and even his favorite film directors.
Emertainment Monthly: In 2008, you left your job and home in Brooklyn to move to Nashville. What happened that spurred you to do that?
Keegan DeWitt: At 17 I left Portland to go to film school at Suny Purchase in New York. Afterwards, I got a spot at the Atlantic theater company where I wanted to become an actor. I wanted to write, direct but more than that, act. Parallel to all this I have been playing music since I was 15 when I would listen to Eliott Smith. So much of acting is getting work and when you do find work, you’re not in control of what you’re performing. Music allowed me to have quality over my work. Even if it didn’t work out, I’d at least be proud of performing my own material.
Why Nashville?
My sister was in Nashville with a band I really liked called Roman Candles. After freezing my ass off for 8 ½ years, I thought the change would be good. Now, from New York, it’s easy to appreciate Americana. But in Nashville I realized the last thing America needed was more white guys with acoustic guitars. The move was really good to me. It allowed me to work all day and night on my music.
When you first moved to there, you worked on film scores?
Yeah, that was kind of serendipitous, really. One of my best friends from back home, Aaron Katz was a filmmaker and his first film was going to be placed into some film festivals. He needed someone to make a score for him and he knew I made music so it just fit. After that I got more and more offers.
How did you meet Jeremy [Bullock] and how did Wild Cub come about?
Jeremy had a similar story to mine. He floated around bands in Nashville and we both had a similar view of how to make music.
How would you describe the music of Wild Cub?
We are fueled by music and poetry. In our sound we try to have a cinematic draw to small moments. We want to tell stories with our music in a less topical way than other bands and more through setting a mood. When you listen to our music, we want it to feel like you’re looking through a box of old photographs.
What made you come up with such a cool concept?
I always go back to this memory of when I was riding a train in Rome and I was sitting behind this woman looking though a stack of old photographs. She would pick one up, look at it, put it down, and pick up another. She continued doing that until she got to a picture of her with a man holding her in his arms. She looked at that photo a lot longer. She put it down, and then picked it back up to look at it some more. I watched her thinking, “Wow, what emotion must be rushing through her? I want to have that kind of intimate effect in my music.”
Bands who record from their homes always have some wild stories of things happening while recording. Did anything crazy ever go on during the recording process?
Not really. We recorded out of our home mainly because recording studios were inhibiting to the creative process. Moreover, they were 500 bucks a day. By recording it from home, the recording process was more organic.
You ran each song through a TASCAM 4-track cassette tape recorder?
Yeah, Dabney Morris our drummer and producer brought in a 4 track. It just so happened to be the kind I learned to use as a nerd in Portland trying to recreate Eliott Smith. We used it to make any sound that came out of the computer or synthesizer sound more authentic and organic. Phoenix did a similar process when recording Wolfgang Amadeus and they put it best: “There is air moving through the sound.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31f-bLL54xA
Were there any themes in your first album, Youth?
Many people thought it was about nostalgia. It’s really all about the transition period in your life when we transform from a cocky 17 year old to a 30 year old looking back on everything. Growing up defines you and I found it interesting to see everyone shaped by whether or not they met their expectations they had when they were younger. People who didn’t meet their expectations are usually more bitter and those who exceeded them were so enthusiastic. I always found that interesting.
How different is score writing to writing songs for your band?
In scoring, you have the opportunity to be a minimalist and show restraint. When writing music for Wild Cub, I try to recreate the chaotic, multilayered calamity of human emotion. It’s not a simple sunshiny song. Its more and we try and recreate those emotions for people.
After the release you went on a small tour that included performances at SXSW, Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza. How was that for your first time at such big festivals?
It’s a good break from playing music constantly. For once we could be students and try to study the professionals to see how its done.
How would you describe a Wild Cub concert?
We try to put as much effort and emotion into all our shows. A big influence on us is Bruce Springsteen and his work ethic to go out on stage and work your ass off day in and day out to entertain.
Are there any songs you love to perform live?
“Summer Fires/Hidden Spells” is a great one. It’s such a physical and immediate song. I consider it the ultimate icebreaker. No matter how the concert has been going, after that song, everyone is always on the same page.
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Do you have any pre show rituals?
As much as I despise doing them, I always have to do my voice warm-ups. Afterwards I’ll take a shot or two of tequila then I jump on stage.
Who would you love to collaborate with or perform with?
We really like the sound of the band Jungle a lot.
As a once film student, what directors have caught your eye recently?
Matt Porterfield who created I used to be darker has made some great stuff. David Lowery did a great job with his film Ain’t Them Bodies Saints starring Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara. Also, Blue Is the Warmest Color by Abdellatif Kechiche was one of the better films I saw this past year.
You’ll soon be touring with American Authors (see interview with them here) and then later with Vampire Weekend in April. Have you had a chance to talk with the bands yet? Are you excited?
Yeah we’re definitely excited but we haven’t had a chance to talk to either of the bands yet. These situations are always like summer camp. At the beginning, everyone is shy but then we start having fun and getting close. Hopefully long lasting friendships are made along the way.
Wild Cub will be performing at the Brighton Music Hall in Allston this Saturday February 15th and will continue their tour. The band will tour in March opening for American Authors and will perform alongside Vampire Weekend in late April.