Trying to fit Glorious Wondour into the typical taxonomy of local rock bands is a little difficult. It's partly because their presence online leaves a lot to the imagination. Any hints about the new songs they've written for their forthcoming album are non-existent as far as the Internet is concerned. But considering we've heard them play alongside the now-defunct band Mt. Ossa (including at the Weekly's Summerfest bash last June), we realize that even when you have them playing right in front of you, you're not always sure where the music is gonna go. It's the sort of music you can imagine on a slow climb toward euphoria, stopping every once in a while to dance your ass off. Imagine a Day Glo infused of indie pop with a psychedelic bent, tons of effect-laden bass and vocals dripping with delay.
Recently joined by Mt. Ossa drummer Tony Tancredi, the band's original duo Matt “Zigzag” McKenzie and Tommy Dumont are now adding a loud new layer to their sound. Tancredi also helped co-engineer their forthcoming record. Next Wednesday, they take the stage at the Weekly's Plugged Into Local showcase next week at the Wayfarer, alongside The Gromble and Tapioca and the Flea. We spoke with Tancredi about the band's mysterious new sound which will hopefully be a glorious surprise.
]
OC Weekly (Nate Jackson): You joined the band fairly recently but you've been friends with Matt and Tommy for a while. Why did you decide to start playing with them after Mt. Ossa broke up?
Tony Tancredi: Matt and Tommy had been jamming for about a year or so and not playing very many shows. Matt was also the guy who did all of our live projections and visuals for our shows.When they saw that Mt. Ossa was splitting up, they asked if I wanted to play with them and I said 'man, I've been watching you guys play for a while now, and I already have drum parts in my head. I'm ready to go.' They're both great players and what Matt is doing with his bass, a lot of times it doesn't sound like a bass. Sometimes it sounds like a choir or an organ, he's good at what he does and I'm glad to be a part of it.
How has having live drums changed how the band writes songs?
Matt and Tommy gave me some room to play which is cool. Before that, they had a drum track for every song. So it was a cool opportunity to hear the drum part that Matt wrote and write something else to it so that together, we sound like one big drummer.
How would you describe the new songs you guys have been working on?
It's bass heavy. There's two bass players, Tommy and Matt–so it's bass on bass with drums and a loop playing in the background. With Matt's vocal effects it sounds like he's shouting from the top of a mountain. Actually his mic is six inches above where it should be so he literally gets on his toes and reaches upward to sing. I guess its bass heavy music with a New Age flair.
Matt has started to get the nickname “Zigzag” recently. How'd he earn that one?
I actually gave it to him, because if you look at a pack of Zig-Zag papers, he looks exactly like the guy with the beard, the mustache, everything.
Having as much steam as you did with Mt. Ossa as you did before the band broke up, how does it feel getting back on the horse and starting over with another band?
I'm trying to look at it with a fresh mind. The fan base is different, the music is different, so I'm trying to look at it like I've never been in a band before. And I'm trying to say here's my new thing, this music deserve to see the light of day and I really believe in these guys. No one's really heard us yet, we don't have anything online so all we can do is start from square one. So for this Plugged Into Local show, we're pulling out all the stops and bringing out tons of people to make sure it's packed and people get to hear what we're about.
Glorious Wondour perform at OC Weekly's Plugged Into Local with Tapioca and the Flea and the Gromble at the Wayfarer, Dec. 3, 8 p.m. Free entry with toy donation. Please bring a new, unwrapped toy to help support local non profit America on Track. For more details, click here.
See also:
How Walter Trout Cheated Death With Help From the Blues
Top 15 Things That Annoy The Shit Out of Your Local Sound Guy
Top 10 Douchiest Guitarists of All Time
Follow us on Twitter @OCWeeklyMusic and like us on Facebook at Heard Mentality
