WSN: Could you all introduce yourselves?

Gabe Merizalde: I’m Gabe, Gabe Merizalde. I graduated in 2015. I like sports. Yeah, that’s it.

Cassie Archdeacon: I’m Cassie Archdeacon. I’m a freshman. And I don’t like sports. That’s my counter.

Connor Lewis: I’m Connor, Connor Lewis. I don’t know where I am in the school system right now, but I am at NYU. And sports are ok.

Tanguy Giraud: I’m TJ, I’m French. I used to go to grad school here, but I’m done now.

WSN: How’d you guys get started? How did you meet, how did you decide to be a band?

CL: I guess we met, actually, through an organization at NYU. It’s called Pi Kappa Alpha. There’s some good looks back there.

TG: I wasn’t part of it.

CL: Notably not part of it. But yeah, it was a good time we met each other there, so it was definitely worth it. So we met there and we started practicing — not really practicing — just playing songs. And then TJ found us. We like to say that he found us. And then recently, Cassie Archdeacon joined us and has pretty much turned everything on its head. We’re kinda trying to write everything from the start, from scratch. Oh, also, Seth Magoon is in California right now. He plays drums. He’s here in spirit.

TG: He’s also a great vinyl DJ.

GM: Great guy, he’s got a great beard. Or did he shave it?

CL: I don’t know.

GM: I never know these days what his beard situation is.

WSN: What would you say your influences are? What bands inspire your sound?

GM: I think each of us has a lot of different sets of influences. So we all bring something different to the table. I tend to be more like a funk-oriented kind of person, so I gravitated to the bass. I feel like Connor is more like typical rock, grungy kind of person. You can tell by his personality. It’s very dark.

CL: Thanks, man.

GM: TJ is our world music guy. He’s like our wild card.

TG: I like punk rock.

GM: He likes punk rock.

CA: I like Amy Winehouse.

WSN: What are your current and future plans for the band? Are you recording?

CL: Well, like I said, Cassie just came in. The sad truth of all this is that the band is being pulled apart. TJ is leaving for Europe in August. So we’re going to lose TJ at some point, which we don’t even know how to deal with. We’re still in denial. It’s going to be very rough. But we are looking up and we’re going to continue writing. Since Cassie just joined, there’s new sounds, good stuff on its way, I hope.

GM: Lots of recording to be done. New sounds to explore.

CL: That’s kinda where we’re at. We’re writing new [music] and trying to complete a couple recordings and an EP by summer.

WSN: Do you have any upcoming shows in the area?

CL: We have a show April 1, April Fool’s Day, at the Legion in Brooklyn. It’s in East Williamsburg. It’s apparently a pretty trendy spot. I’ve never been there. But if anyone wants to come I think we’re playing at like 11 p.m. It’s a Friday. Come hang out.

WSN: If you could plan your dream lineup for a tour with your band, who would you want to play with?

GM: Oh, definitely Frozen Sour Smurfs. Definitely Frozen Sour Smurfs should open for us. That’s actually TJ.

CL: That’s his DJ name.

TG: frozensoursmurfs.com. It’s coming.

CL: I would love to play with Tame Impala, that’s just me. That comes to mind.

GM: Now is this a fantasy? Can it be anybody?

CL: Should it be realistic?

WSN: Yeah, they can be dead or alive, doesn’t matter.

GM: I can’t choose.

TG: This guy Francis Bebey from Africa would be great. He makes like crazy African electronic music. Sadly he passed away, but if it’s a fantasy I think it would be pretty nice to play with this guy.

Email Allison Stubblebine at [email protected].