Like most bands, the Whigs—guitarist/vocalist Parker Gispert, drummer Julian Dorio and bassist Tim Deaux—have had to endure their fair share of rough patches during their eight-year existence, including major-label troubles and lineup changes, but perhaps these bumps in the road were merely the stars aligning for the Athens, Ga., trio. The label issues prompted them to record and release their debut album, 2005’s Give ‘Em All A Big Fat Lip independently, earning them the title of “the best unsigned band in America” from Rolling Stone. It wasn’t long before they were signed to ATO Records—which issued the band’s critically acclaimed second release, Mission Control, in 2008—and playing high-profile shows at festivals and late-night talk shows and touring with some really famous names. New album In The Dark is the Whigs’ grittiest and most explosive album yet. Ever the kings of the road, the Whigs are currently on tour in support of the release, but they’ll also be guest-editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our brand new Q&A with the Whigs and our 2008 feature on them.
Gispert: Seeing that our new album is called In The Dark, I racked my brain for an early lights-off memory. My older brother and I used to play tag in the dark. To amplify the game’s intensity, we would spin whoever was “it” in circles and blindfold them before they were allowed to begin their search. It was a hot summer night, and after being spun to a satisfying disorientated state, I took off my T-shirt and began to hunt for my brother. Using the little bit of moonlight to his advantage, he could see me pawing at the air in hopes of tagging him while he laughed and easily dodged my weak attempts. After a while, I specifically remember not being able to hear his feet hitting my bedroom floor. I couldn’t figure out where he was hiding before it occurred to me he was sitting on my bed. Fearing he might dodge me, I launched a spontaneous surprise attack and leapt suddenly onto my bed to tag him. Unfortunately for me, the spins had left me more disoriented than I realized, and my leap was actually headfirst into a wall in the corner of my bedroom stacked with wooden peach crates. It’s the only time I’ve ever willingly dove headfirst into a wall, and it’s probably something I wouldn’t have done if I’d had the privilege of sight. Anyone else want to comment with a good “In The Dark” memory?
