Listen to the Walkmen

Lead singer Hamilton Leithauser briefs us on bad childhood bands and his vision for a rock presidency. Click here to download music off of their amazing latest album, Bows + Arrows.

By Emily Hawkins

The Walkmen emerged from the crowded New York music scene in early 2002 with their debut LP, the critically acclaimed Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone. Their sound defies easy categorization: catchy but abrasive, intimate but spacious; imagine Bob Dylan jamming with Joy Division or early U2 and you start to get the idea. The Walkmen rose out of the ashes of two short-lived rock groups: The Recoys and Jonathan Fire*Eater. All five band members grew up in the Washington, D.C., area and went to the same high school. In 2001, they set up their own recording studio in Harlem, Marcata Recording, where they recorded their first album. With their masterful and dazzling 2004 release, Bows + Arrows, The Walkmen proved they are destined to outlast the rest of the New York rock scene pack. Lead singer Hamilton Leithauser sat down with Campus Progress to talk about music, politics, and life as a rock star.

CP: I hear you guys have a uniquely collaborative song-writing style. Can you tell me a little bit about it?

HL: I don’t know about “unique.” We write the songs together in the room. Actually, most of the time we sit in the room and play “Innagaddadavida” or maybe Funkadelic’s “Hit It and Quit it.” Yesterday we were in the studio from 1:30 until 11 p.m. and not one thing got accomplished. I hit Pete in the pants with a broom and we all bitched about money for a while. Then we decided that just about all of our new songs were terrible, so we erased them off the blackboard we have up. Then we played “Hit it and Quit It” for about 35 minutes. Then we tried this really old Jonathan Fire*Eater song and it was probably the most depressing part of the day. Then I came home and drank Hennessey until I fell asleep with my contact lenses in my eyes.

CP: When you were a kid, who did you want to sound like?

HL: The Stones, the Stooges, Jane’s Addiction

CP: I know you’ve been playing music since you were really young, what was your first band like?

HL: I was 15. It was with my friend Hugh and my cousin Harry. Needless to say, we were absolutely unlistenable. Actually, I think my second band was worse because we were a little more concerned about being cool. I think all the charm of our complete ignorance was lost and that was some of the worst music ever made.

We had a constantly slapping bass freaking in every song (it was like fricking Seinfeld) and I just played loud distorted guitar and sort of half sang the songs. I remember getting up there paralyzed with nerves and stumbling through a song that I realized at that very moment I’d forgotten to fully write words to.

CP: All of you grew up in D.C. which in the ‘80s and ‘90s had an intensely political music scene with bands like Fugazi. Were you a part of that scene? Is that music that appeals to you?

HL: I think if I wrote a political song I would get laughed out of the studio. I have enough trouble writing songs about absolutely nothing. Most of the time political songs sound so forced and the songs really aren’t that good. Actually, Bob Dylan’s “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll” is a great political song.

I remember there would always be 10-20 political speakers at those Fugazi shows when we were younger … not to mention the speeches that would take place during the show … and honestly all it did was bore us to tears … we didn’t go to the show for a political rally. A lot of people did, but I sure as hell didn’t.

CP: Who has been the most fun band to tour with? Who do you most want to tour with?

HL: We had a great time with Modest Mouse. We always have fun with the French Kicks. I’d like to tour with Bob Seger, just the two of us, my solo project opening for his.

CP: If you could pick any two musicians dead or alive to make up your ideal presidential ticket, who would you choose?

HL: Steve Malkmus [of Pavement] for president and Randy Newman for VP—I truly think that would make a great ticket.

CP: Hmmm … why them?

HL: Isn’t Malkmus “the smartest man in rock?” Maybe I made that up, but I like it. Newman should probably be president just because he has seniority.

CP: What’s the first thing you can imagine them accomplishing in their first hundred days in office?

HL: Jamming.

Download tracks from the Walkmen’s latest album, Bows + Arrows:

“The Rat”
“New Year’s Eve”

Related Stories

• Gender-Neutral Housing Comes to Princeton
• Campaign Communications Director, Repower America
• Toke Up Marijuana Laws
• Send a Health Care E-Card
• The Battle for Pittsburgh