WHIMM: The Wavelength Interview

Purveyors of: Gritty rock that ranges from ethereal dream pop jams to rough industrial noise-rock.
File Next to: Mexican Slang, WTCHS, Odonis Odonis.
Playing: WL 616 – Saturday Sept. 13 at Smiling Buddha.

WHIMM is a Toronto based noise-rock band – with hints of drone and pop – that formed recently and put out an EP in February of this year. Now with a new drummer, they’re keeping that up momentum and continuing on with new material.

So, while Googling your band, a site popped up saying that “WHIMM” stands for “Works Hidden In My Mind.” Is this what your band name’s based off?

Ha! No it’s not based off that. We never came across that on the net.

You guys played a Buzz Records show during NXNE. Is there anything else you guys have planned with the label or its bands?

Nothing planned. They’re just good friends.

You’ve mentioned that there’s some new material in the works, any word on the direction you would like to go with it?

We’re trying to be a bit more experimental, at least experimenting more with our instruments to pull us into a different work flow.

Any bands you’ve played with that you think are totally underrated and deserve a shout-out?

Pube Floral.

How does the band write its material? Does it just come out of jams or does one of you spearhead a lot of it?

Chris writes most of the stuff, brings it to practise, then everyone comes up with their own parts and we arrange it together. Since we’ve got a new drummer, we’ve been more jammy which has been a good change and helping strike new ideas.

What bands are you listening to the most right now?

Pappo:Absolutely Free, Pharmakon, Protomartyr.

Matthews:Scott Walker, Rudimentary Peni, Flux of Pink Indians.

Chami:Clark, Neu!, Telstar Drugs.

If you could see any band live, which one would it be?

Gipsy Kings.

—Interview by Kristian Johnson