Okay, I admit I really underestimated these guys. I had initially gone to do a write up on my friend Dave's band, Giraffe Massacre. While they were setting up, I walked to a local pub with some new chums and came back late set. I don't know if it was the Peach Jameson, The heat, or the music at the time, but they managed to put a huge smile on my face with the song Prize in my Crackerjacks, their mathy/scramz type style, seizure esque flailing and wondering if two of the members were twins. I ended up listening to them the next day, and was pretty impressed so I contacted them for an interview, which ended up being laughable and quite fun. I tried to get a better look at their gear, but i'm really not that tall and some jerk kept getting in front of me. While writing this, I learned that they recently released their new album, too!
J: Tell me about yourselves? Who are you as a band, and are you guys working on any other projects music-wise? art-wise?
Teen/ragers is Aidan Woolum on bass and vocals, Sagen Cocklin on guitar and vocals, and Jake Jones on drums. Aidan also plays bass in local bands Dave, Shelton Pool, and plays guitar in Otters. Sagen also plays drums in Shelton Pool. Jake does art for the band mostly, and also plays drums in Sunny Side Up, Otters, and Anti-Patterns.
JJon: I am going to ACM next fall for drum performance and I do art for fun. I like to play drums.
AWool: I will be a sophomore at OCU as a string bass performance major. I like Star Wars more than the average person likes Star Wars.
SCock: I'm going to be a junior at OU doing physics and shit. People make fun of my name, it's cool though
J: So, what IS a Teen/Rager? I'm picturing an angsty angry pre pubescent kid, but I could have it down wrong. I didn't really get that vibe last night.
JJon: I mean, I thought it would be a cool band name and I thought it was kind of funny. Originally Teen/Ragers was just Aidan and I and we were kind of noisy and more punk.. So it kind of seemed to fit. Once Sagen joined we got more noodley and starting writing more rhythmically and melodically complex songs. Also we only have the ‘/’ in it because of the people often mistaking our name as Teenrangers. I don’t know what a Teen/Rager is, I think the music could give you a better definition than I.
SCock: Jake Jones
J: I'm really responsive as to how musicians react while playing their music. You guys are pretty animated. Is this practiced or random?
AWool: I feel like flailing around and being noodles just keeps us from feeling awkward, but there are actually a lot of visual cues that we all give and receive that make some of the transitions possible.
J: Apart from being viciously wiggle-worthy and maybe slightly heavier, how do you feel you differ from other locals in the post-rock/math genre? (asking several bands this, I can see the obvious differences but I like to write it to where others can read about it from your perspective)
AWool: We’re not trying to be different, really. Just with the way we all have grown up understanding music, it has been based on rhythms. Sagen and Jake are both spectacular drummers in my mind, and I’ve grown up on bass, so we’ve been studying difficult rhythms for years. When we get together, we just write rhythmically intense music. I think no instrument should be more important than the other in music, so we all just play parts that are fun and we love.
J: I hear a lot of different influences in your music. Auditory wise, who floats your boat?
JJon: The three of us all love the math rock/post rock genres but their are other subgenres we love such a midwest emo and scramz. Some of our favorite bands are father figure, Algernon Cadawallader, innards, choirs, Midwest Pen Pals, The Reptilian, Native, La Dispute, Sports Fans, Alta, and Merchant Ships.
J: How'd you guys meet? I could be totally wrong, but two of you look related, no?
AWool: Jake and I met in middle school, hung out, then didn’t until my sophomore year when we started our first band. We’ve made music together ever since. It’s funny that you would say Sagen and I look alike though! We actually met after one of his friends yelled at me from the speeding car next to me on 63rd Street and asked me to go get frozen yogurt. We hung out afterwards and they said the only reason they yelled at me was because I looked like Sagen. We’re also kind of like the same person. It’s weird finding your doppleganger.
J: The first 50 some odd seconds of Prize in my cracker jacks was awesome, and probably my favorite. How did this magical, twinkly gem come about?
AWool: The build up from the intro to that song is nice. When I was explaining it to the band I basically said start as soft as you can play and end as loud as you can play. We wanted a song that was slower and easier on my voice so we could take a break from face-melting, ya know?
J: I have all this garble in my own handwriting I cant even make out in regards to what pedals you were using. Was trying to jot them down, and then a super tall person got in my way. Care to share your Equipment? Are you guys brand snobs or no?
AWool: I’m not a brand snob, I’m just a sound snob. If it doesn’t sound as good as something that’s slightly more expensive, I will keep saving money. I use a Music Man Bongo 4 bass guitar, a Markbass CMD 102P 2x10 combo hooked up to a Mesa Boogie Powerhouse 2x12 cab. All I use pedal-wise is a Big Muff Pi and a Boss Harmonist.
JJon: I wouldn’t say I’m a brand snob but I’m proud to play on a grestch Catalina maple. My snare drum is a brass 13 in pork pie, and I generally have all my drums tuned pretty high. I like zildjin cymbals but mostly use Sabian because of price difference. I use Vic Firth 5B’s, they give me plenty of bounce for the faster songs.
SCock: Guitar pedals: I've never really cared much about my pedals as long as they make stuff weird. I've got a boss tuner (lame) a boss bass overdrive(I used to play bass) a danelectro tuna melt tremelo( dodododo) some chorus pedal(ooooh) whatever phaser thing was cool when I was a kid (wahawahawahawah) and my favorite, the danelectro BLT slapback delay.
J: For someone who's never seen you guys live before, what should they expect?
JJon: Expect a loud set and a lot of inside jokes. Just let yourself go.
J: What's the most rewarding experience you've had together, and why?
SCock: Finishing PUNKA and not being able to breathe.
JJon: DnD, and that time we opened for Native at the Conservatory
J: Anything super secret and awesome you're working on?
AWool: We are actually working on recording a split with a local band. The songs are badass and hilarious in a depressing way.
J: Who was the all time sexiest president of the US?
AWool: Calvin Coolidge
SCock: Andrew Jackson
J: Do you plan on printing your EP? If so, what form(s)?
JJon: We have actually just finished recording ourselves and are mixing right now. We are planning to release a 7 song album which is our current setlist which will be produced by local label Cough & Boner. We’re really looking forward to putting it out so we can share the music we’ve worked so hard on with our friends and really listen to it yea know? The albums more for us if anything. We’ll be putting out CD’s and it will of course be free on our bandcamp.
J: I've noticed a lot of the younger kids getting into post-rock/Math rock/Twinklecore and think this is awesome. I felt like a dinosaur at your show. How did this happen? Thoughts?
AWool: The weird shit we all write together always turns out so strange, so I could understand feeling like a sloth or a dinosaur while raging.
SCock: I guess young kids are getting into twinkly shit because that's what's been fun to listen to lately. I think also a lot of the slightly older dudes who have started playing it know kids in high school who have been coming to shows, it's just a shared experience and junk.
J: Are sharks mean because they feel unloved, or do they just have a mean way of sharing their affection with others?
AWool: I don’t feel like I could give you an accurate representation on that because I hate the ocean. Whales poop in there.
SCock: Sharks are dicks, pop one in the nose.
J: Is there anybody in particular who's helped you guys tremendously?
Our friend Timmer Gee! One of best friends who helps us most every show and films them. Thanks dude!
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