interview: 1776

1776 (L-R): Chris Cook, Mitchell Ruppe, Nigel Legerwood and Zach Whiton.

As divergent as my views are about revivalist music, there are some bands who do it so well that it’s hard to say anything that’s not definitively in support of it.

1776 is one such band. The focus amongst their peers has seen a lot of attention bestowed upon their delicate ages (the oldest member clocks in at around a month younger than I am; how frustrating when people who have had less time to do things are more successful than you are), but this really isn’t attributing them the accolades they deserve.

Having first seen this group in December 2009 when they supported the Dandy Warhols at one of their Christmas shows in Portland, Oregon, it was a treat to see how much their stage presence has evolved in less than a year when I saw them play again at this year’s Clean Air Clear Stars.

Vocalist and guitarist, Nigel Legerwood, leads the band with seeming ease and charisma, and they wear their influences on their sleeves (or in drummer Mitchell Ruppe’s case, tattooed on his chest, where a tribute to his much-loved Rolling Stones is found). Their performances are a mélange of energy and rock star nonchalance, and their devotion to the genre and style they love is evident not only in their music, but also in their image, personas and the fact that over the course of the CACS weekend, I never saw any of them ingest anything other than alcohol and cigarette smoke. They’re for girls (and boys) who like their boy bands with a little more rock ‘n’ roll, and proof that catchy songs and good music are not mutually exclusive.

While many of us traipse through our adolescence uncertain of who we are and what we want to do, the members of 1776 appear to hold few such apprehensions. Indeed, asking guitarist, Chris Cook, what he’d be doing if he wasn’t playing music quickly begins to feel like extorting an answer.

Is it really important to you that you be involved with music?
Yeah yeah. Oh yeah, it’s all I think about.

Where do you see your band in five years?
I don’t know. Just keep doing what I’m doing.

Which is what?
Playing music for people.

In terms of 1776 itself, is that where you see yourself ending your career?
I don’t know. I’ll probably always love music. Most people do.

Even this early into their lives/careers, 1776 have a couple of EPs recorded, and were promptly signed to the Dandy Warhols’ record label, Beat the World, after Courtney Taylor-Taylor saw them perform one night. And yet, half the band is not even old enough to drink in their native America.

Many bands are touted as the next big thing, but regardless of whether these boys find mainstream popularity in this musical outfit, there seems little doubt that they will always find a way to keep making music.

To find out more about 1776, check out the documentary below.

“1776” from How’s Your News? on Vimeo.