They’re a Chicago-based indie rock group that describe
themselves on social media as ‘avant uke/bass’. Twangy chorus-soaked guitars,
slinky fretless bass, psychedelia-tinged vocals and kooky clarinets make up
their madcap sound. Their melodies meanwhile draw heavily from traditional Chinese
courtroom music.
Their latest album Nice
Mask Over An Ugly Face sees
them tightening up their sound, the result being punchier, groovier and overall
weirder. Think Holy-Fire-era Foals were they to lose their marbles and go
oriental whilst incorporating distorted clarinet solos. That's what Wei Zhongle
sound like.
Having scoured the internet for more background
information on the band and came up empty-handed, I hoped an interview may be
able to provide more insight into the inner workings of the mysterious group. The band responded to my interview opportunity with the following opening statement.
‘Wei Zhongle are currently being
held at an undisclosed location due to ongoing investigations. These answers
are being provided through a surrogate and are as follows’
Ongoing investigations? I was unable to gleam further
information from the group, however I did manage to get into an enlightening
discussion involving Woody Allen and Obama. Read on below…
If Wei Zhongle was a pizza what
toppings would it have?
WZ (Wei Zhongle): Wei Zhongle is a Hawaiian pizza, but traditional Chicago-style Hawaiian pizza: deep-dish with gummy worms instead of pineapple, and curried goat instead of ham. Pigs are our friends.
I tried doing some Google research into your band name and came across this article (my Chinese isn’t too good): https://zh.wikipedia.
WZ: Answer redacted due to ongoing investigations.
There’s a heavy Chinese influence in your music. Have you guys ever been to China?
WZ: Thank you for noticing. Yes. Once. It was nice. Hope to go back.
Theres a heavy
Martian influence in your music. Have you guys ever been to Mars?
WZ: Thank you for noticing. Yes. Once. It was nice. Hope to go back.
Your new album is titled ‘Nice Mask Over An Ugly Face’. What or who inspired the title?
WZ: Answer redacted due to ongoing investigations.
There’s some crazy clarinet playing on this album. Who do you look to for clarinet inspiration?
WZ: Benny Goodman, primarily. Also, John Goodman. And Mr Goodbars. Woody Allen plays very nicely, too. And softly.
How did the ‘Wei Zhongle Drives Very Fast Tour’ go? How fast did you drive?
WZ: As fast as
our diplomatic immunity will allow us.
What’s the Chicago
music scene like and are there any bands right now that you think people ought
to know about?
WZ: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics
This music video is quite the trip. Who is the creepy claw lady and where
can I get a psychedelic portal hat?
WZ: You are the creepy claw lady and the psychedelic portal hat is right in front of you. It's in front of all of us. Don't look too hard.
What does the future hold for Wei Zhongle?
WZ: I am confused by your question. The future has not yet happened. The past held goodness. A hand holds flowers. A bowl holds fruit.
Follow Wei Zhongle
at @wei_zhongle