Interview: The Orwells

Written by Molly Boekenheide

A rowdy, rambunctious and raring-to-go teenage five-piece, The Orwells, made headlines earlier this year with such an explosive performance on The David Letterman Show that jaws dropped, and Letterman himself got giddy. Since then, they’ve released their second full-length album, Disgraceland, and have been touring the country, opening for Arctic Monkeys and hitting up festivals like the Denver and Chicago legs of Riot Fest, along with preparing to perform at Vegas’s Life is Beautiful Festival. There is no rest for the weary though. Since the teens graduated from high school early back in 2013, they continue to press ahead with wild abandon. Next, they’re heading overseas with Palma Violets this coming fall for a couple of months in the UK and France. What comes after that? Well, luckily for me, frontman Mario Cuomo took some time out of his busy schedule to tell me about life on the road, guilty pleasures, embarrassing moments, and more…

Thanks so much for speaking with me! How have you been, what have you guys been up to?!

Mario Cuomo: We’ve just been touring, touring, touring!

Nice! You’ve played a couple of festivals the past couple of months; Riot Fest Denver, Riot Fest Chicago…it’s been quite the summer! You’ve said previously that you prefer the smaller, more intimate shows, because “you never know what can happen” – after having made the festival circuit, do you stand by that statement?

MC: I mean, it’s just like, it’s a lot easier to control…but at festivals, it’s a lot more difficult to keep people’s interest because they have all of this other shit to look at. Like, Riot Fest Chicago was – I feel – like one of our best shows lately, but festivals…I don’t know, I guess they’re a little more predictable, but I know that it’s going to be decent. With the smaller shows, I never really knew what I was gonna get. It could be a tragedy, or it could be great, I really have no way of knowing.

There were some pretty big names at these festivals that you played: Pussy Riot, Die Antwoord, Wu-Tang Clan…did you find yourself starstruck at any of the acts?

MC: Fuck yeah! I was like, freaking out when I saw Courtney Taylor-Taylor from The Dandy Warhols. I was seriously like freaking the fuck out. I was drinking beers over by the artist’s bar and Sixteen – Die Antwoord’s little girl? Yeah, she walked down lookin’ all cool and I was like “Woah…that little girl is gonna grow up to be the coolest girl in the world.” I was literally starstruck by a child.

Oh! And then I saw Wayne Coyne and totally ate shit in front of him…I was going to get another beer or something, I don’t know, and I slipped on the concrete and totally ate it. I just kind of looked up at him and he just like…kept walking.

That sounds like it went really…well?

MC: Yeah, it was really great [laughs].

Now, you were recently featured on James Williamson (former Stooges guitarist)’s new album, along with people like Ariel Pink and Allison Mosshart. How did it feel to work with such a legend and how did it all come about in the first place?

MC: Surprisingly, we were just contacted by him because he thought that I was the most suited for the song, so I really have no idea how he even knew of our band or who the hell I was…even my manager was pretty shocked. He just texted me one day and was like, “hey, do you want to do this?” and of course I was like, “Yeah!” I mean, it’s such a crazy opportunity!

And then – well, I kind of fly the least amount as I can alone because I’m like, really bad at being alone, especially with shit where you have to get somewhere. So it was terrifying going to the airport because I was like, “I’m totally fucked cause I’m alone!” But I somehow managed to find my way through the airport by myself and get to LA for that. And then…well, it was badass and it worked out awesome. He took us our for Italian that afternoon, and was just like, a really sweet dude, and the song turned out great.

That sounds incredible, what an awesome experience! Is there anybody else that you’re wanting to work with in the future?

MC: Ah, well…I don’t know how much I can like, do. I mean, when people collaborate, they usually, like, write the music together, but I just have a half-assed, halfway decent voice, and I have no idea how to write music, so I don’t know how much help I could be to anybody [laughs].

I mean, if there was like, a hot chick who had like, an amazing voice, and I liked her music or something, and she wanted to do like a dude-chick duo song? Yeah, I’d like to do that one day. You know those songs that are like, one line is the chick, and the next line is the dude, and then it goes back and forth and it sounds awesome? Yeah, I’ve never done that, so I’d want to try that.

Understandable. Now, you mentioned that you didn’t write your songs…so who does, is it your band? Is there a set songwriting process?

MC: Well, our guitarist comes up with demos, and works on it with the band. Then, after they have a piece of it, they’ll show it to me and ask if I have a vocal melody for it – or maybe they’ll have one, it could be either one. Most of the time if they have a demo and show it to me, if I’m feeling it, I’ll just write down some lyrics really fast. I don’t really try and think about them too much, I just kind of spit them out. It’s usually over pretty quick. Then, we’ll lay down the vocal track, and if it’s cool enough, then we’ll pursue it.

Gotcha. Now, after the insane summer you guys have had, you’re headed overseas with Palma Violets again this fall, right?

MC: Are we? I don’t even know [laughs]. No, but now that I think about it, I know that we’re touring France with them…is it all of Europe?

I mean, I read it was UK as well, but I could be wrong!

MC: Ah well, shit…you know more than me [laughs]. But that’s great!

I know you guys toured with them last year – I actually caught you open for them in NYC, you were awesome! How did you start working with them in the first place, did you know them beforehand?

MC: No, we just met them before last year’s tour. They’re the shit, it’s the best feeling when you go on tour with a band and you’re like “oh, what are they gonna be like?” and they just turn out to be great dudes! It’s just like, phew! You can breathe easy, you’re just like “…fuck yeah.”

It’s definitely got to make everything easier.

MC: Yeah, it makes you want to do better too, because you all feed off of each other, you know?

Yeah, totally. Now, you guys are climbing the ranks to being one of the coolest new bands out there –

MC: God, I hope so! [laughs]

You are! But, I have to ask…what’s on your iPod that would totally ruin your “cool cred?”

MC: Well, right now, my iPod is blank, because I just got a new one for my birthday! So I just have iTunes on my laptop right now, the iPod is still in the package…

Well, happy birthday, but that is SUCH a cop-out!

MC: [laughs] well, hmm…you mean like, guilty pleasures?

Exactly.

MC: Umm…ugh, fuck. Okay, I’m like, super into female artists. Like, in general. Not that it’s like, an embarrassing thing or whatever, but just like…female artists that people maybe wouldn’t think that I listen to. It’s feel-good music for me. Like, female pop stars, or female rappers? They just make me really happy, and make me not worry about things, you know?

Well, that’s what music is supposed to do, right?

MC: Yeah! So just like, female rappers and female pop stars in general…there’s just something about them.

Fair enough. Now, what advice would you give to bands that are trying to make it?

MC: Umm…don’t take advice from bands that are trying to make it too! [laughs]

Well played. Lastly, anything that you want to say to your fans?

MC: Agh…I’m so bad at this! I should probably think of something, because this is usually the last question of every interview. Umm…shit. Like, I want to say something, you know? I wish I had something prepared.

Wanna just say “thank you” and leave it at that?

MC: I mean, I guess. I’ll tell you what – I’m gonna think of a real good one sometime, and if we ever do this again, I’ll have something for you! Deal?

Deal.

The Orwells perform at Irving Plaza on Wednesday October 15th at Irving Plaza, click here for tickets. They will perform at The Asbury Lanes on Friday, October 17th – click here for tickets.

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