Rival Schools - London, UK, Spring 2002
By: Toby L
It's rare that some people are able to experience musical success within several different guises during a given career. More recently, Damon Albarn of highly-influential art-rockers Blur has been cutting his teeth as the puppeteer of the cartoon-pop act, Gorillaz, angering not just his original band-mates in the process but cynical critics as well. Although this is a credibly uncertain progression for ole' Albarn, the leaping across on to new things can be a spiritually positive and rewarding step. Require evidence of someone that has experienced such a turn for the better within his musical time-span? Well, let's give the brilliantly-named Walter Schreifels as an example, now frontman of America's latest poised-for-success rock-group, Rival Schools.
His past within the alternative US guitar-scene has been well-documented over the last year, so - rather than provide an in-depth analysis into his past activities as most others have done - it's more constructive to just point out the key successes and impacts that his music has contributed to the modern genre. Namely, there have been his efforts into cult-band, Quicksand, an irrepressibly relevant and early-90s post-hardcore act that inspired some of the notable rock-ensembles currently knocking about, as well as his previous incarnation, Gorilla Biscuits, which formed in the 80s, with a punk-astuteness that helped them to garner over 100,000 record-sales.
Aside from these endeavours, though, it's worth remembering the other members in Rival Schools, who have all played in underground and noteworthy groups on the pathway to their current unit. Ian Love - the band's guitarist, who is noticed via his trademark chunky glasses - was the 'final piece to the puzzle' of the band, with Sam Siegler on drums and Cache Tolman on bass filling in as the other corners to their unique enterprise. As Siegler pointed out on their formation, the men were quite simply 'four totally different rockers united to rock - in the name of rock'.
The only other thing you need to know is that they have an album out - 'United By Fate', and it could be the finest thing you listen to during the next year. Its razor-sharp production, yet focused immediacy and grueling energy allow its slickness to be as refined as a discerning audience could ever hope for, though still appeal towards the kids at the same time. To summarise, they're modern, gifted and - to couple this with their experience already - you've got the perfect band, one which you could even fall in love with...
Today, we're meeting the man many deem as the most significant influence into the group, Walter himself. They're scheduled to play a sold-out London venue later this evening, but not until him and Sam have finished promotional-duties within their record-company's head-office. We join Mr. Schreifels within a small, enclosed and virtually empty office, which is bare apart from a computer and desk at the back of the room, as well as a tidy collection of magazines located on a table near the musician. Despite a hectic schedule and having played many shows over the last fortnight with many more yet in sight, he is looking remarkably well and enthusiastic.
There haven't been too many interviews to tread through today, luckily, and Walter is quite open about what journalists usually want to cover when sharing discussions.
'It's stuff about Quicksand and if we're a super-group,' he laughs. All of a sudden, though, he realises the hot-topic on everybody's lips. 'Actually - it's EMO! Of course, it's Emo - what else would it be, am I crazy?! If someone asks about it, I'll talk about it, but I've now got my own stock-pile of answers to give 'cos I've been asked about it enough! I mean, yeah, yeah, Emo is a thing that happened, and...'
Well, do you think there has actually been a resurgence of this genre in the first place?
'I think it's just different. Journalists are just calling certain bands it so it makes it more identifiable for people.' Walter then provides a rather effective parallel. 'After all, if you're going to invite people to a party, you've gotta tell them where it is and what it's called...'
And if Rival Schools are producing a party within their music, then it's certainly the best you can imagine, albeit with spiked punch, copious quantities of savoury snacks and enough guys and gals to kick-start a mass-orgy of excitement and love. Man. Clearly, there'd be no other competition for a cool night out.
Speaking of competition, in fact, how does the band rate themselves up against other rock-talent out there?
'I think we've got our own thing happening, you know,' Walter ponders. 'It's definitely comparable to other stuff, but there's a route to it that maybe even goes back to hardcore stuff. There's also a futuristic sound to it, though; I wanted it to sound like the way My Bloody Valentine records sounded like, but in a way that it's more tangible to things I've done in the past.
'Obviously, 'rock-groups' is a very broad category, but it's probably through my experience, as well as our experience coming through, that we may be different. I started in the New York hardcore scene in the late-80s and have just been doing this for a long time and gone through a lot of movements and scenes, and have managed to keep doing it on a level that's kept me interested and kept a certain crew of people interested. But I think that that kind of experience makes us a unique band; this isn't our first band, but it's still fresh to us.'
What efforts are made for the sound to become 'futuristic'?
'It's just by thinking about it in that way, and saying, 'That's what it's going to be!' Ian does a lot of things with pedals too in a way that goes back to how Pink Floyd used to do it; it all takes away the regularness of a guitar just by itself as well as its familiarity.'
Certainly, it is this, the band's edgy sound, which has thrown people. Some have missed the point, claiming them to sound like acts that they clearly don't bear too much of a resemblance to...
'I don't really read much of the press,' sighs Walter. 'I just leave it to do its own thing. Misinterpretations... I don't think there are any common misinterpretations, because I think whatever people make of it is just what they make of it; what I was trying to do was not so much stylistic as it was just trying to be something that's honest and real, and - in some ways - push the styles of my personal music and the guys in the band a little bit further.
'It's hard to name what we're doing - or misname it; it's just Rival Schools: if you want, you could say it reminds me of this, it reminds me of that, it's Emo, it's Nirvana... Personally, I don't think it's like Nirvana, I don't think it's like Emo in the way that I think about Emo, but I think that the energy that was put into it is reminiscent of those, and that's why people say such things about us.
'Overall, if people think it's the greatest thing they've ever heard in their lives, or if they just think it's shit, that's fine... Obviously, I'd just prefer them to think it's the best thing they've heard, but you can't control it!'
At this point, Walter smiles warmly and you can't help feeling an affinity towards him. OK, so people say age doesn't matter - but it sometimes does. He is a 32-year-old man. This is hardly shocking, but when you consider other musicians of his age, many are likely to be jilted in some ways, either unable to string together enough inspiration to strike some more new material or act as youthfully and cockily as they once did. With Schreifels, however, you meet a man whose interest in what he's doing, who he's meeting, and the fans is extremely vivid and reassuringly sincere. He could be the most pleasant person in alternative-music today. Maybe politeness is the new rock 'n' roll..?
Still, enough assumptions made, and on to his role within Rival Schools - after all, he is seen as the leader: is this true, and what part does he play throughout, in terms of group-input?
He sniggers to himself. 'I am all the good parts! Nah, this band more-so than Quicksand or Gorilla Biscuits has been far more collaborative. I hadn't made a record for a while so, going into it, I needed to be with people that had their own identity and made their own style so I didn't have to worry about who the other guys in the band were - they could worry about themselves.
'I felt that I could come in with the skeletons of the songs, as well as with the vocals and the lyrics and if that, by default, makes me as the most dominant member in the group, that's OK, but - in terms of how it was steered and what everyone else was playing - there's a huge role for everyone to play. In Quicksand, I was way more intent to dominate every aspect of it, which takes a lot of energy... That's where I was at, at the time; I felt like I had a clear vision of what I wanted to do, whereas - with this band - my only clear vision was that I wanted to do a band, and I just wanted to explore what sounds good and to go with it.
'With more people, it's just a different way of doing it. You have to give people more space - as people like to have space! You do get better performances out of people that way and more good stuff. But then you get less of your own ideas included, so that's kind of annoying... It's all just about a compromise and that's how it's done...'
Really? So have there been any arguments or fights during the course of the band's existence?
'Not in this band - in Quicksand, I had fist-fights! There was only one, though, and it was pretty much a draw... I'm a bad violent person.' He stops for a second and tries to clarify what he's saying, ensuring that the wrong impression isn't made. 'I mean bad as in that I'm not good at fighting!'
So you're a wimp?
He laughs gently, almost resembling someone that's just had a secret revealed... 'I get in bands with wimps, so yeah, that's how it usually works! This time, though, we're equally matched... Though one guy in Quicksand was pretty tough - I didn't screw around with him at all!'
Pleasantly, Walter refers to his past efforts without any signs of shame or regret, holding his times in prior bands as vital and special to his song-writing development. Would he therefore prefer fans of their current work to look up on his older material?
'I think if people like Rival Schools, then that would be awesome: for people to go back and go, 'Wow, this is cool too,' that would be great, because it's all still so dear to me...
'The cool thing about coming over to the UK is the freshness of what we're doing now; Quicksand never sold any records over here, although - in the journalist world - people seem to be aware of what we did.'
Incidentally, how has the UK treated you, and what are your observations of the place?
He sits forward on his settee and produces facial expressions that match his excitement in responding with his findings on the matter. 'In the UK, people jump up and down - but, in the US, people don't do that! I think that's a big difference; the crowds for us in the States are just way more dancey and react a little more differently. I also think that the audience we have here is getting to know a lot through the mainstream press about what we did before, and a lot maybe don't know who Quicksand are, but, back home, people are a little more aware of all that stuff. This results in a different kind of person getting into us, I guess...'
An important process of people 'getting into' bands arrives at the stage of either hearing a record on the radio, being informed about a group via the press - or seeing them live. How have you found the live-performances have gone down for promoting this record?
'It depends on the night,' he responds thoughtfully. 'Sometimes, it's awesome, and, sometimes, it sucks! I tend to enjoy it more when it's a goofy vibe, but sometimes it's more serious because within some of the songs there are serious themes. Playing live, though, I do prefer it to be fun and silly, not in a Green Day way, but where it's, 'You like our music, we like our music - let's have a great time and enjoy it...'
Keeping the optimistic sentiments alive, what are the ideal aims to achieve in 2002 - essentially, the real potential year for breakthrough?
'Just to take this record for as far as it's going to go; it should be at a stage where we've played everywhere we should have played, and everyone that's bought the record has had a chance to see us, and then just us enjoying it as it all goes along. Today, I'm doing this interview and then there's the show tonight, and I want to get the most out of all of it as I possibly can...'
To conclude on a similar issue, putting this in terms of how you've progressed as a musician over the years, how do you rate your own personal evolution as a musician?
'With music,' he opens, prepared to deliver the most simple yet honest reply he can develop, 'You want to express what you think your aesthetic is and your feelings and ideas about something: you want to put that to music in the closest proximity to what it actually is. So, I always tend to make music that reflects how I feel and think, in a way that I think sounds, looks and is cool or interesting... When you can really do that, and have it really represented well, it may be tricky, but it is an awesome achievement.'
Tricky it may be for Walter and co. but an awesome achievement their produce is too. This comment marks the end of the interview. We say goodbye, accidentally re-meet in a tiny elevator on the way downwards in order to exit the building, and then walk our separate ways.
With the LP 'United By Fate' set to be a classic record over the next twelve months, it's satisfying to realise that rock-bands with passion, spirit and vision can succeed and appeal to the masses. When it comes to Rival Schools' turn to inspire and influence not just hundreds of thousands of music-fans, but other artists too, there's something genuinely right about the idea of Walter being there at the forefront with his friends earning such accolades. Seemingly, from what's been learnt and discovered here this evening, maybe nice guys don't finish last after all.
Artists in this article: Rival Schools