Wristwatch is back and with a new album out, III, it seemed the perfect time to sit down with main man Bobby Hussy to find out about the band’s past, current activities, and what the future holds.
Can we start with some background info? How did the band come together, and what paths got you all to this point?
I started writing some catchy, simple punk songs early on during the pandemic. I thought it might be fun to see what I could do by myself with a drum machine ramped up at high tempos. The stuff just sorta poured outta me. After I had the guitar, drums, and vocals done, I sent the tracks over to my buddy Tyler Spatz, with whom I had been playing in bands for years at that point. He dropped some bass on the songs, and Wristwatch I was born.
A small label in Pennsylvania said they would release it as a limited edition LP. It sold out instantly, and I opted to press it on my own label since the demand was still there. When bars started opening up again, I thought it might be fun to try to put a band together. My longtime friend Ben Dederich hadn’t played in a band in years, and he was up for the challenge of playing my lead lines live. Eric Hartz had thrown his hat in the ring once he heard the debut LP.
III, the logically named 3rd album, is now out. I think the previous two albums were more studio projects, but this feels more like a traditional band release.
The first two records were mostly recorded and mixed at my house, with Tyler putting his bass on it at his own space. This new record is all four of us on record with an excellent engineer behind the desk. Beau Sorenson did a great job recording and mixing the album. Beau was awesome to work with, and he even let me record my own guitar and vocals at my house. Definitely helped make me feel more comfortable since I’ve been recording and mixing my own records for nearly 20 years now.
Who plays on the album, and what do they each bring to the party?
Tyler Spatz plays bass and sings backup. He wrote incredible bass lines that informed a lot of the vocals on II.
Ben Dederich plays guitar, and he brings the space rock meets post-punk elements to the lead tones.
Eric Hartz plays drums and coordinated getting Beau involved in the project.
I’m Bobby Hussy. I sang and played guitar all over this thing. All the squirrely out-of-tune guitar solos are my doing.
What can the listener expect from III? What sounds and styles, and who do you think the album will appeal to?
It’s a high-octane punk rock record with some death rock turns. Lots of hooky songs with urgency. Punk rock.
Are there any particular themes or messages running through the album, any conversations being started, or any talking points you feel are important?
Nah.
Do you feel that there is an obligation on a band or artist, having found the spotlight fall upon them, to have something to say, be part of a bigger conversation?
I think everyone has their own idea of why they’re creating art. Some people have important messages behind their art, and that’s excellent. Other people want to create music for the fun of it, and that’s also excellent.
What are the differences between III and the previous albums? Can you see any sonic evolution? Is the process of writing and recording different this time around?
The songs have all been tightened up, and the live band with Beau engineering really brought the record to life. This is the first Wristwatch record with live drums, and Eric did a great job of capturing the feel of a drum machine on a live kit. The whole thing is of a much higher quality than the past two records, as it was mixed by a professional engineer with more knowledge and experience than I, and certainly better gear than I have access to as well!
And where next for Wristwatch? Will you be getting out to play the new songs live? If so, where are you looking forward to playing, revisiting favourite haunts, and ticking off some new cities and venues along the way?
We are excited to celebrate the release of this album by playing a show at our hometown bar, Crystal Corner. After that, we will most likely play some shows regionally. Most of us have other bands going, so we are also focusing on some of those projects during the next year. Tyler and my band Whippets is releasing a new record later in the year, and I’ll also be releasing a metal record with my band Julian Heresy, as well as a shoegaze record with my project Superblooms that I recorded with my partner Sarah Pray (Carrellee).
Eric is currently consistently rocking with The Flavor That Kills. Tyler is also in this awesome pop-punk project Geoff Palmer, based in Madison. They toured Europe last year and have a bunch of plans for this year as well! Keep an eye out!
Sounds like you have plenty of cool, musical projects on the go, thanks for finding the time for a quick chat, and best of luck with everything that you and the gang are doing.
