Q&A: Wei Zhongle
By Abbie Doyle, Editorial Director
On a breezy Thursday night, I joined my roommate as she made her way over to Bat Lounge for a lineup consisting of RMG III, Giant Claw and Wei Zhongle. Giant Claw put on such an incredible performance that when Wei Zhongle followed suit, I was moved to approach the quartet and ask for an interview. The goofy group--consisting of Rob Jacobs on guitar and vocals, Pat Kuehn on bass, Phil Sudderberg on drums and John McCowen on clarinet--was more than obliging. I (plus the tiny microphone in my trusted iPhone) was privy to their camaraderie for a very entertaining 20 minutes.
Rob Jacobs: Maybe we should wait for Phil.
Should we?
RJ: I don’t know. Should we wait for Phil?
John McCowen: He’ll show up. We should probably start because Shane (Riley/RMG III) will start soon.
RJ: Yeah...
Okay, so you guys are from Chicago, right?
RJ: Sort of. Me and Phil live in Chicago. John lives in Oakland and Pat lives in Wisconsin.
That’s... kind of far away. Do you guys reconvene for musical purposes?
RJ: Only for tours. But this is our first tour with this lineup.
Is the drummer new...?
RJ: The drummer’s new and Pat’s new. Me and John have always been in the lineup.
So, how do you guys know each other?
RJ: I used to live in Carbondale, Illinois, which is where [John] is from, and we were playing in a trio as Wei Zhongle with a different drummer, and we did a lot of touring and met [Pat] in Boston. Phil lives in Chicago so we met him there. So we only play when we’re on tour, basically.
How does recording work? Do you just set aside two weeks at a time or...?
RJ: Yeah! It’s different for every album. We’re gonna make this album with all this new stuff over Christmas break at [Pat’s] parents’ cabin in Wisconsin.
That’ll be cozy! How many albums do you guys have so far?
RJ: Um... three full lengths and a split with a band from New York City called Killer Bob.
Killer Bob? Like Killer Mike?
RJ: Twin Peaks.
Oh! That’s creepy. I had a friend dress up as Bob for Halloween...
Phil finally joins us.
JM: This is Phil!
Hi Phil! I’m Abbie.
Phil Sudderberg: Hi Abbie, it’s nice to meet you.
So, now that you’re all here—what music are you guys listening to right now?
JM: Oh my god.
RJ: We like everything. Every genre has good stuff, but we listen to a lot of rap in the car, when we’re on tour. On the radio.
Specifically?
RJ: Yup. And uh...
PS: ...Specifically?
Yeah!
PS: Chedda Da Connect, Fetty Wap, Vince Staples...
RJ: Chris Brown.
PS: Chris Brown... yeah.
Cool! Anything other than rap?
RJ: Yeah, tons of stuff.
PS: Joni Mitchell.
RJ: A lot of Joni Mitchell. Arthur Russell.
PS: Steely Dan. Even The Beatles.
JM: Yeah, The Beatles.
Even? Is that like an exception?
JM: No, it’s just like... fundamental—
PS: You might think, like, [we’re] done listening to that, you know what I mean?
That’s true.
PS: But we all enjoy listening to The Beatles.
Yeah, they’re fun. Sometimes I just have to sing along to something that I know like the back of my hand.
PS: Yeah, exactly. Comfort food.
Exactly! You guys are all very obviously talented at your instruments—
PS: Cough. Mhm, yes.
How long have you been playing your respective tools?
RJ: ...Forever.
JM: I started playing woodwind instruments when I was 18 and... I’ve been playing the clarinet for seven years. There were some years when I played saxophone, so it’s complicated but like... seven years.
PS: I started playing drums in fourth grade, so, I don’t know, I’m 25 now. What are you when you’re in fourth grade? Are you like nine?
I think you’re nine. I remember turning seven in second grade.
PS: Okay, yeah. So like 15 years.
Can I ask what moved you all to pick up that specific instrument?
PS: I had a next-door neighbor who was older than me and I thought was cool. He was playing drums in bands, so, that’s kinda why.
That’s awesome. John?
JM: I was very influenced by a teacher of mine and that kind of solidified the clarinet thing for me.
RJ: I don’t really know why. I was a small kid and I just gravitated toward guitar and making mouth noises.
Your vocal work is so distinctive; are you heavily influenced by people or is it something you developed on your own?
RJ: Yeah, I mean everything... I like R&B singers, especially from the ‘90s. I like Indian singers like Lata Mangeshkar and uh, all kinds of stuff.
How do you develop that vocal control? Has it been easy for you, or was it something—
RJ: Kinda... I mean I guess. I don’t really... I don’t practice vocals.
Really? You just do it?
RJ: I just play whenever I feel like it.
That’s nuts. Good nuts. To be naturally that good at something. I can barely sing at all.
RJ: Well I used to really hate my voice, so yeah.
Pat, who has been sitting next to us the whole time but engaged in a different conversation, joins our circle of discussion suddenly.
Pat! Hey!
Pat Kuehn: Hey. How ya doin.
Good! How are you?
PK: Laughs hysterically
Oh, man. What are you listening to right now, Pat?
PK: I think I overheard someone say Steely Dan. I listen to a lot of Steely Dan. Chris Brown, Fetty Wap, uhhh... I like listening to... this guy Chris Weisman a lot. Yeah.
How long you been playing the bass? Slapping the bass?
PK: Since I was like, 14?
How old are you now?
PK: 23.
So like nine years.
PK: ...Yeah. Nine years. Yeah. I guess before that I played guitar, so that’s how I got into bass. I say Joni Mitchell also, by the way.
About who you’re listening to? I bought a Joni Mitchell record because I felt like I had to, like it was a rite of passage—
PK: Yeah, well you do have to.
Okay, well I spun it, and was like “This is not doing it for me right now.”
RJ: Which one?
Um... Canyon?
JM: Ladies of the Canyon?
Yeah.
PK: I don’t know that one.
RJ: You should listen to, uh, Court and Spark.
PK: Court and Spark or Blue.
RJ: The Hissing of Summer Lawns or Clouds.
Thank you! I need to know that information because... with artists with such a big discography—
RJ: She’s got so much.
I don’t know where to start, and I’m just intimidated.
PK: I have that problem all the time.
Who is it hard for you to dive into?
PK: Grateful Dead.
Hoot of laughter from someone.
PK: Seriously.
I honestly feel like they have a few good songs but for the most part, I just don’t know if I need to listen to all of that.
PK: It’s really hard to get any of the live stuff, because they did so much of it. I just don’t know where to start. I tried to download Euro ’72 because they have that on vinyl, right, like as a record, and I tried to download it—
PS: Coughs. Off the record.
PK: But there’s thousands of concerts they played in ’72 and you know, it’s just like... I can’t do anything.
No. So—you guys are on tour right now...
PK: About to go back.
...and it’s a special occasion.
RJ: It’s our last show before we play Chicago tomorrow.
And then you’re done. How long have you guys been on the road?
RJ: Three weeks.
Three weeks? How’s that feel?
RJ: Great. We feel insane.
JM: Great.
PK: I feel very close to and touched by all the boys.
I could tell! There was just this feeling of... camaraderie.
PK: Laughs. Every boy is very pure.
I could tell. I had favorite rap artist on this list of questions as like, my go-to question, but you guys addressed it right off the bat.
PK: We like Chedda too!
They said that! You guys are all on the same page.
JM: Kendrick Lamar.
I’ve heard that some schools are using To Pimp a Butterfly as literary curriculum.
JM: Oh that’s great.
PK: What?
It’s part of their reading requirements.
PK: Enormous groan of delight. That’s so great.
Do you guys have favorite pop artists?
PK: I like Katy Perry a lot.
RJ: ...Not really.
PK: I like Beyonce too. Janet Jackson. Is Janet Jackson a pop star?
PS: Yeah!
She was...
PK: She has this new song called “No Sleeep” with three Es. Laughs. It’s good. Did you guys hear the new Madonna song, called “Bitch I’m Madonna?”
I feel like you’re messing with me.
PK: No it’s totally real. It’s called “Bitch I’m Madonna.”
PS: I don’t know, I have not heard it.
PK: Well she’s in this video and it’s featuring Nicki Minaj, maybe, I don’t know. Anyway it’s called “Bitch I’m Madonna” and you should check it out. It’s a big hit on the Eurodance charts.
I don’t know if I believe you, dude. I’m gonna look this up.
JM: No for real, it’s real.
PK: I’m not kidding.
JM: It just hasn’t been getting much attention.
PK: I don’t know if it’s good but it’s funny. “Bitch I’m Madonna!” She’s like, in the first person, you know, like “I’m a bad bitch—” Is overcome with laughter.
PS: What a spark of creativity.
PK: Keeps laughing.
Are you a Madonna fan?
PK: Yeah. Well, no, I don’t know.
What’s your favorite Madonna song?
PK: I really like, um...
RJ: “Bitch I’m Madonna.”
PK: No, um... Snaps fingers.
RJ: “Like a Virgin?”
PK: Starts humming tune to himself. Uhh. “Borderline!”
Have you guys played a show every single night for three weeks?
RJ: Yeah, except for yesterday.
PK: We had a day off in Athens.
JM: ...Here.
Pat laughs hysterically as Shane Riley sits down with us.
What’d you guys—
RJ: We got drunk.
PK: Yeah, we took a day off and drove here, drank some beer, ate some pizza, drank some more beer.
Did you go anywhere in town?
PK: We went to—do you know Morgan?
Super tall guy?
PK: Super tall-y.
Shane Riley: We went to Hocking Hills.
PK: Yeah we went to his house and stayed there.
And then Hocking Hills, Shane says?
SR: We went to Hocking Hills, remember?
PK: Today we went to Hocking Hills.
SR: We had a great time.
Did you go down all those million steps and into the, uh, the place?
PK: Went to the rocks...
SR: We didn’t go to Old Man’s Cave.
Yeah that’s what I meant.
PK: We were like “Yeah let’s go hiking,” and then our breakfast set in to our bodies and then we were all just soooo tired.
What’d you guys eat for breakfast? Where’d you go?
PK: Casa Nueva. And then we went to Casa Nueva again for dinner. ‘Cause it’s so good.
I have never eaten at Casa.
PK: WHAT?
SR: Wow. What?
PK: I will go with you right now!
I feel like it’s so expensive that if I went in there, I would just cry...
PK: It’s not expensive. It’s so inexpensive, that’s why it’s so amazing.
SR: It’s like eight dollars! For like a full, good meal.
RJ: It’s like, 10 bucks but you don’t have to tip.
You don’t have to tip? Is it included in the price?
RJ: It’s like an employee-owned restaurant.
PS: Yeah, they make a fair hourly wage. A livable hourly wage, presumably.
If you could have a lunch date with any musician, who would it be?
PK: Arthur Russell.
RJ: Wow, quick answer—Captain Beefheart.
PK: It’s the same answer as to “If you could see anyone who’s dead—”
RJ: Or Sun Ra.
JM: Ooooh, fuck. Oh man. That’s tough. Uhhhhh... John Gilmore.
PK: John Gilmore?
Who...?
RJ: He was in Sun Ra’s band.
JM: He was the tenor saxophone player.
PS: Um... I dunno. Maybe Billie Holiday?
PK: Oooh. Damn, son.
PS: And she’s pretty. Or was.
RJ: She dead now.
Wow, that was kind of cold.
PK: Those people all dead now, yo.
PS: Yoo, that’s just what it is!
PK: It is what it is. We all gonna be dead.
Is this lunch date in heaven, then? Do they come back to earth for like, two hours?
PS: We get to open for them.
PK: Well, if you want someone who’s alive we can do that.
RJ: Yeah.
PS: Yeah, do you want somebody who’s alive?
Yeah, gimme both.
RJ: Shit, that’s hard.
PK: Oh, fuck.
PS: Donald Trump.
He’s not a musician!
JM: I got mine. Neil Young.
PK: Ooh! Hello!
Wait, didn’t...?
JM: No, he’s alive. He just put out a record.
PK: He’s alive for sure. One hundred percent.
Oh, Lou Reed died.
RJ: Ohh, I would have said Lou Reed. But he’s dead now.
PK: It’s hard to say that I wouldn’t do Neil Young, but maybe John Prine.
PS: Who’s that?
PK: He’s this like, country sort of singer. American songwriter. ‘60s.
PS: I say Roy Haines, ‘cause he’s like 90 and is gonna die... soon.
Who is this?
PS: He’s a drummer.
PK: Famous jazz drummer. Swing.
RJ: David Longstreth.
Who’s that?
RJ: The Dirty Projectors guy.
I’ve heard he’s kind of an asshole.
RJ: Yeah, he’s an asshole.
And you, uh, you wanna hang out?
RJ: Yeah! He already was an asshole to me via email. Kind of.
PK: Everyone is an asshole.
Why did you email him?
RJ: When I was 19 I emailed him, and he said that my “path was a dubious one.” My musical path.
What? He pooped on your dream?
RJ: Nah, not really. He was just... I don’t know. Cold.
I mean, he answered you. That’s kind of cool. Even if it wasn’t the most... positive response.
RJ: He was trying to... direct me. A little bit, I think.
Tough love guidance?
RJ: Yeah.
I think that’s all I have, and good timing because people are starting to play music. So you guys are on the Internet, I’m presuming? I can find you?
JM: WEI ZHONGLE DOT BANDCAMP DOT COM.
