We recently caught up with a Chicago band that we feel is going huge places. With an experimental
sound, some of the city’s most talented musicians and a bright future –
we think that Paper Thick Walls is a band that you have to check out.
Interview by McKenzie Hughes
1. On PTW’s twitter page the biography states that Eric and Kate use the band to embody their colletive songwriting and production work. Can you briefly explain how the other members joined the band?
Eric (vocals/guitar), Jacques (mando/lead guitar/fiddle), and Andrew (Drums) performed in a band prior to Paper Thick Walls. Kate and Jacques actually met in the music Department of Loyola University and became friends years ago. Eric and Kate also met in college as they had the same producer (Stefan Clark of Cassette Company). Kate and Eric began writing together and realized that the music they created together had much more potential than previous projects they were involved with. The rest of the guys ended up joining the band although we found Roger through a friend and called him up at a gas station, he heard our music, dug it and immediately joined the band.
2. Within the past year PTW’s has performed at NXNE, SXSW, Summer Fest, and CMJ Music Festival while touring throughout the Midwest and East Coast. Between these shows, which has been the most impacting on the band as a whole?
Touring the East Coast and playing show after show after show has definitely impacted the band most, as our chemistry on and off stage has melded into something amazing. Our stage performances as a unit have improved so much with touring.
As far as the festivals are concerned, I would have to say that NXNE has impacted us most. We have had the best showcases at this festival for a couple years now and have networked the best in Toronto.
3. While writing and recording music, how has your process changed or developed since the band originated?
We tend to rock out a little big harder than we did when the band began. Kate got a Nord ex 88 stage which has also made the music different with new sounds of synth, rhodes, vibes etc. Some of the songs on ‘A Thousand Novels’ have changed a lot in our live performance. We simply like to rock out on stage. Also, Jacques was the last addition to our band and has created this beautiful ornamentation overtop of what we play and ends up really polishing our dynamic sound. Everyone that joined the band has different influences and I really feel like that is what makes Paper Thick Walls’ sound unique.
4. Are there any plans, goals, tours or collaborations that fans can look forward to in 2012?
We will be touring all over the place in 2012. It’s all at paperthickwalls.com so keep up with us!
5. What has been the “Highlight” moment that the band has experienced to date?
We released our album in May of 2011 at the Hideout here in Chicago. It has grown to be our favorite venue to date. It was a huge stepping-stone for our future and that show seriously shed a lot of light for what is to come.
