Sometimes when work gets backed up and a significant amount of time passes before you can actually post an interview a band will go through some relatively significant changes… In this case, this Silverlake duo actually changed their moniker… When I talked to Cosmo (guitar/vox/synth) and Jess (bass/vox/synth) late this summer they were known as We Are/She Is. However, this fall they re-branded themselves as WASI.
The duo already have two EPs under their previous moniker, 2011’s Young Pretty and Clean and this year’s Name Game. The girls seem to blend the yummiest, most sugar-coated, and pogo-inducing sounds that could be found on the Warped Tour with a more traditional and brassy brand of punk sass… but with a bit more sincerity than implied by either of those aesthetics. During our chat, Cosmo tells me, “We’re really into 80s pop, 70s punk, and New Wave. I mean, The Clash is my all-time favorite band, but I’m also really into M.I.A. and the latest Tegan and Sara record – we actually covered M.I.A.’s song ‘Paper Planes,’ which was really cool,” while Jess cites The Ting Tings and Icona Pop as particularly significant influences.
I ask the girls about the band’s relatively brief history and its highlights and Cosmo tells me, “We’ve got a cool and kind of big following in the gay community, which is cool and we played with The Naked and Famous, which was definitely really cool and our biggest show yet.” And when it comes to what’s most important to know about WASI, Jess problaims, “We’re all about DIY. We’ve always been self supported.” Cosmo reiterates, “It’s character-building, learning to do things your own way, and no one can take that away from you. WASI currently seems most excited about getting the live show out to as many people as possible, a live show that they’re quite proud of. “We put a lot more rock energy into it. We have a lot of energy live,” Cosmo says. And, if you’re in the LA-area, the band will be appearing every Wednesday next February at the Silverlake Lounge (the 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th.)