"We Play Quiet: An Interview with We Play Quiet" by Bobby Greer

Amid today's tempestuous sea of jazz, classical, and shanties, sails a modest-sized sailboat. At first glance, this boat appears quite ordinary, equipped with your expected stock of rope, roaches, and hard-tack. But if one takes a second look into the belly of this fair vessel, one finds numerous other supplies as well. Barrels of salted meat, hard-tack, and extra sails. However, if one takes an even closer third look, they'll find cookies! If you haven't guessed by now, I'm not actually talking about a boat. I'm actually talking about up-and-coming rock trio We Play Quiet fresh out of Vancouver, Washington. I sat down with We Play Quiet last week to discuss their album "Sweating in Sweaters," current recording and plans for the future.

TDS: Thanks for sitting down with me guys.

WPQ: You're welcome.

TDS: Alright, I'm sure you've all heard the rumors by now, so I've just got to ask. People are saying you stole the main theme from Michael Jackson's song "Will You Be There," the main theme for the 90's movie Free Willy. Apparently it's being said that you used it as a backing track for every song on "Sweating in Sweaters." I mean, is it true?

Reid Trevarthen: Mostly, but not totally.

Ethan Camp: He's right. For the most part, we didn't take the main theme from Free Willy for use in any of our own music. However in other ways we did.

Zach Holcomb: Ethan and Reid pretty much got it right there. I wasn't in the band when "Sweating in Sweaters" was recorded, but I can tell from listening to it that the main theme from Free Willy probably wasn't really used much in any or all of the songs on "Sweating in Sweaters."

TDS: Well I speak for all of us when I say thank you for putting THAT one to bed. Alright, so I just got to ask, what was the inspriation behind "Sweating in Sweaters?"

EC: It's really an experiment in human thought. We figured it would make sense to juxtapose two frequently unrelated concepts into...what would you guys say?

ZH: Geez, I'd say the psychological equivalent of a golf course.

RT: Yeah.

EC: Yeah.

TDS: Zach, explain to our readers what you mean by that.

ZH: Well, look at it this way. If an eagle and sand were to become one entity, what would reult would be a majestic, carnivorous thing with sand traps. A golf course.

TDS: Wow. Now I know why they call you guys "The Real Deal." Okay okay, I know "Sweating in Sweaters" came out almost a year ago. Has your sound changed any since that release?

RT: I wouldn't say drastically. We still have drums, guitar and vocals. I guess the only real difference would be the recent addition of Zach on bass, but other than that, we're still shelling out your favorite L.A. pop-punk hits from when your mom still danced the blues.

TDS: That actually brings me to my next question. Some of our readers feel that We Play Quiet is almost too L.A. What's your take on that?

EC: Listen. We are not "L.A." If anything, we play So-Cal dancehall with a twist of 80's revival, but please do not call us "L.A. pop-punk."

ZH: (chuckles)

RT: (chukles)

EC: (chuckles)

TDS: I think I speak for all of us when I say thank you for clearing that one up. Well I've got a couple more questions for you...

RT: How many?

TDS: Um, well, I was planning on thr...

RT: Three?

TDS: Three

RT: Cool

TDS: Um, okay, so three? All good?

RT: Well...y-yeah okay

TDS: Okay, great! Now I've spent several times longer than my boss would allow me to spend listening to "Antarctica" on your MySpace page! I just love it. Tell me, have any of you ever been to Anarctica?

EC: That's actually the reason we wrote "Antarctica." we've all had Antarctica play a role in some part of our lives. For me, I was born in the British Claim of Antarctica in a research station not far from the coast.

RT: Mine is kindof outlandish, but I was the first person to reach the South Pole. I had been planning the expedition for a while after my birth in the British Claim of Anarctica in a research station. Finally in 2005, I reached the the pole with my team of Amazonian tribesmen. Consequently, my team was the first group of Amazonian tribesmen to reach the South Pole.

TDS: And you Zach?

ZH: Mine's kindof lame compared to these guys' but one day I was drinking some really cold water. I mean, this was really cold water. So I accidentally hiccuped really hard, my cold water went flying several thousand miles to the southern ends of the Earth, the cold water hit the cold air of the southern ends of the Earth and precipitated out of the atmosphere as snow and ice creating the Antarctic ice. So...

TDS: Yeah, that was kindof lame. What does it say on your nametag, like, "ZACH IS LAME?" Pssht! God, that was so STUPID! Alright, so I've got one more question for you guys. You guys, I mean, you guys are recording now right?

WPQ: Yes.

TDS: Great! Alright. this is Bobby Greer with up-and-coming band We Play Quiet. Anything you guys want to say before we go?

ZH: I don't like that you called me lame.

RT: I also don't like that you called Zach lame.

EC: If you had called Zach an idiot I would've been more upset than when you called him lame, though I am still upset.

TDS: Great! Have fun and be safe!

-Bobby Greer for  The Daily Statesman