HT Interview: Wyllys Heads Out On Tour

It wasn’t until my 20’s that I started collecting House, which is just the most sophisticated style of dance out there. When I was young I would talk so much shit about how Jungle was so much harder to play technically and that was bullshit. House is so much more intricate and forces you to be so much more involved with the EQ and the keys of each record. You really had to be more of a musician to play House and its sharpened my skill set tenfold. At the end of the day I am a vinyl junkie and collect every style of music from Classical to Death Metal so you never know what I’m going to bring to a gig.

HT: The name of the tour is “Look, Mom. No Lights”. Is that because you are on vacation from Umphrey’s?

W: Actually, it goes a bit deeper than that. That is the obvious joke of the tour name but in the end, my dream touring rig will consist of three turntables, a percussion rig a-la-Phil Collins with lots of toms and cowbells and a Grand MA – the lighting console we currently use on UM tour.

HT: So you will be mixing, playing drums and doing lights?

W: That’s the idea. I am vinyl till I die, so I won’t have Serato to loop things for me to set up a situation where I can get into percussive jams, therefore I will also be adding some looping pedals. I will run the turntables through to lay a bed of sound for me to “jam” on with the lights and percussion. No laptops allowed. EVER!

[youtube]VvvWRJhnH4w[/youtube]

Wyllys w/ Kris Myers = Audio Depth Device

HT: So this tour is just two turntables and a mixer?

W: Yup. Lots of support slots and small places so it makes sense. It’s my first tour – humble beginnings if you will.

HT: You are playing with some great names on your first tour, do you have a booking agent?

W: Nope. I actually booked this tour in a few days time by just calling people I have networked with over the years. I have a manager that I call for consulting and have him steering my in the right direction. He has the greatest vibe and is the total ying to the intense Wilby yang. Obviously the idea is to work toward an agent and all that but for right now the situation is perfect.

HT: Any advice for Wyllys concert goers?

W: You throw a fucking glowstick at me and I will jump down and beat the fucking balls off of you. Think I’m kidding? Try me. No, but in all seriousness I may not be on the stage every night so keep your eyes peeled for my location. A lot of my vibe comes from me directing the music and the crowd. Keep in mind, the nearest DJ might be behind you. HA!

Wyllys’ Look Mom, No Lights tour kicks off on Thursday at Club Metronome in Burlington. Here’s the rest of the tour dates…

April 15-Club Metronome Burlington, VT w Future Rock
April 25-The Tonic Room Chicago, IL w Lo Pro and DJ Lou Dooben
May 6-Mexicali Blues Teaneck, NJ w Kung Fu and Newton Crosby
May 7-The Main Pub Manchester, CT w Marco Benevento
May 8- The Wellmont Montclair, NJ w The Disco Biscuits
May 9-Club Metronome Burlington, VT Hijack The Disco w Adam King (Seth Yacavone Band, Dead Sessions)
May 28- Summer Camp Festival Chillicothe, IL 4 Hour Late Night Set w Lax Class

Related Content

2 Responses

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

New to Glide

Keep up-to-date with Glide

Twitter