Questionable Corner: Oppenheimer

My favorite Irish, synth-rock, duo Oppenheimer are returning to New York this week for a gig at the Mercury Lounge on Thursday night (that's tomorrow!!!) and one at Union Hall on Friday night, so I thought it would be a good time for us to catch up with the band and see how they spent their summer vacation and what they are currently up to. Rocky took time out of his always busy day to answer some questions for us and give you a little insight in to what's going on in the world of Oppenheimer! If you have a chance check out the band tomorrow night, they take the stage at 9:30pm sharp!

PTST: Hey guys, long time since we've had a chance to chat what have you been up to in the
mean time?
Rocky: Loads! After touring around the states in March, we toured Ireland, England, Scotland and France with Bob Mould, did an Irish headline tour, released a 7" single and of course released Take The Whole Midrange And Boost It. We played festivals at home over the summer as well as shows with The Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev!

PTST: So your second record is done and has been released, how do you think the final product
turned out? Is it everything you had hoped for from it?
Rocky: Yeah, I think we tucked ourselves away and made an album that I feel flows together really well, I love all the sounds we achieved and the different drum rooms we explored. I think it kicks pretty hard and it's amazing to have musicians who we love from Belfast and further afield on there. Having them into the studio to do strings or brass or backing vocals or bass or guitar was exciting, it was nice to play different bits to friends and musicians we respect so much.

PTST: What's the biggest change from the self-titled debut to Take the Whole Midrange and Boost It? How have your fans taken to the changes? And how have you adapted to the sound changes in your live shows?
Rocky: I think the songs are harder, more densely layered, with stronger melodies and arrangements, I'm also really proud of the production. Live we've had more distortion! Also over the summer in Ireland we played some tracks like "Before & After The Quake", "Take The Whole Midrange And Boost It", and a couple of others with two extra Oppenheimers, dubbed The Mega-Team. It's been so exciting to blast out a show for 40 minutes and then have this injection of energy and musical talent in the form of Hornby and Angie McCrisken, it turns a two man idiot parade into a full on non-stop party - so that's been really fun and the crowds in Europe have been really into it. Of course there's been one or two people protesting it, who probably cried when Dylan plugged in, but you know getting the chance to expand the ideas of the second record and bring more enjoyment to a room full of people is the reason we drive around in a van for 16 hours a day!

PTST: Last we chatted you told me about this big communal space in Ireland that you were knee deep in, how has that turned out?
Rocky: The space is still there, I've opened up a recording studio that's been there for nearly a year now. It's going really well, we've had artists like Sharon Corr, Duke Special, Foy Vance, The Tings Tings, Holy Fuck, Blood Red Shoes all passing through, as well as getting to work with some of Ireland's best new and exciting bands, people like In Case Of Fire, And So I Watch You From Afar, Robyn G Shiels, General Fiasco, Cutaways... bands who want to make great albums and develop their sound and who love experimenting, I think we've set up a really unique experience for this in Belfast.

PTST: You're coming back to the States and specifically New York again this week, has the
novelty of traveling abroad to play music worn off yet or is something you still find pretty
exciting?
Rocky: The novelty of travel, like sitting in airports, being cramped on a plane has certainly lost it's entertainment value. Even this time driving into NYC didn't fill me with the excitement it usually does. But that all changes the second we play the first show of a tour. This hasn't been our biggest tour numbers wise, but it's been by far the one I've put most effort into making sure that everyone who does come out has the best night out! It's such an amazing thing getting the chance to play your own music to new faces night after night, thousands of miles from home, the minute that's not exciting is the minute you should be asking yourself why you are in a band at all.

PTST: Is there anything or any place you haven't been to or done that you plan on doing this
visit?
Rocky: Charlottesville was new, we played a lovely venue called Gravity Lounge and met some nice folks called Bill & Andy there, it was a really fun night. We're also going to Albany for the first time too. It's been amazing to revisit some places and meet people who are becoming good friends. It's a short trip sadly, so no time for crazy road trips!

PTST: So aside from recording and touring, how have you guys been spending your summer?
Are you looking forward to the fall?
Rocky: We've been stocking up on confetti and air horns and generally having a laugh, making a lot of video clips for our website/myspace and wondering around. I took my first vacation in over three years, which was amazing - I turned my phone off, went to London and just walked around, asked my girlfriend Angie to marry me - and she said YES! which was certainly the highlight of the summer. I'm having a great time this tour and I'm really looking forward to the Irish dates we have coming up in October and whatever else this crazy year has left to bring!

PTST: I know it seems so soon since the release of the new album, but what comes next for
Oppenheimer?
Rocky: Well we'll tour until we owe some people $100,000 again and then we'll think about how to steal some more cash! We've started talking about the next album already, it may be a concept album! but we'll hold it together. I'm starting to get excited about the prospect of getting into the studio and making something new again!

PTST: What have you been listening to on the road this time around?
I'm still listening to Happy Hollow by Cursive every single day. David & The Citizens, an Irish band called Cutaways, Edgar "Jones" Jones, The Promise Ring and Beaujolais have also been on heavy rotation.

PTST: So why should people come see you when you you guys hit there town?
Rocky: Well, we're having more fun than ever before, so hopefully everyone else will too.
Expect fun times, loud music to dance to and you can also be a star in one of our tour videos!

Oppenheimer - "Take the Whole Midrange and Boost It"
Oppenheimer - "Cate Blanchett"