Have you found yourself missing the days of raw, hard, true glam rock? Well time to stop reminiscing about the bands of the 1970’s — filthy, gorgeous New York City rockers Semi Precious Weapons are here!
With one eponymous EP, the full-length album We Love You, and another on the way this summer, the guys behind SPW plunge a high, pointy, sparkly stiletto heel deep into the heart of New York’s anemic, bearded indie rock scene. Fronted by the ever-glamorous Justin Tranter and supported by members Cole Whittle, Dan Crean and Stevy Pyne, the band is known for giving superstar Lady Gaga her start — she opened for them back in 2007 as they played gigs all over the city’s Lower East Side and even appeared in their original video for “Magnetic Baby.”
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Now that Gaga has skyrocketed up the charts, she’s bringing along the men who first gave her a chance — Semi Precious Weapons is opening for her sold-out worldwide tour. Never a band to rest easy, SPW is using a short, scheduled break on the yearlong Gaga tour to embark on a four-city mini tour across the US, giving fans a chance to see them up close. The mini tour is with a rare assortment of true rock and roll openers including Lady Gaga’s partner in crime Lady Starlight, New York up-and-comer Breedlove, and LA favorite Nico Vega.
I caught up with SPW backstage at New York’s Bowery Ballroom before a show. Brimming with pre-show energy, they laughed and chatted away while I kept fighting the urge to stare at Justin’s eye-popping gold stiletto boots.
Though you’ve previously mentioned liking Lil’ Kim and Jay-Z as a group, who inspires each one of you musically?
Justin: Sharon Stone, Marilyn Monroe, Patty Larkin, Patty Griffin, Miranda Lambert
Cole: Willie Nelson, John Coltrane, LL Cool J, Venetian Snares.
Dan: Patti Labelle, Peppermint Patty, Patty cake Patty cake bakers man.
Jokingly mention they will soon enough be renamed The Pattys
Stevy: …John Coltrane as well. No Pattys.
You’re very audience interactive; do you find yourself enjoying smaller, more intimate venues like the tonight’s venue (the Bowery) or the huge arenas you’ve been playing on the Monster Ball Tour?
Justin: For us tonight is going to be about 700 people, which is huge for us. Honestly, when we’ve toured with Gaga we’ve played sometimes [up to] 12,000 people. But that’s only been very recently, before that we played many a show with just 30 people. But actually we find that they’re all the same. It’s all the same energy, you know because when you’re playing in a massive arena the space is so big that the space is so big that it feels just the same as a small bar with 30 people screaming their heads off.
Cole: I don’t know many bands that can transition form 20,000 to 300-700. But we get off on… it’s a challenge to us every night to get the audience to react as much as possible. So that gets us off no matter if it is 3 people or if we’re playing in front of label people and that’s it. Somehow we try to get people to loosen up.
Justin: Yeah, most bands hate industry showcases and we some how have a f*cking blast. Whether we’re playing to 20,000 teenagers or 10 forty year olds in suits.
Cole: There is no body ready to get more f*cking wild than an office person. And if you think there is you’re craaaazy.
What is a typical day off like for you (non recording)?
Group: We don’t remember.
Cole: The only day off I remember was one day on a sh*tty tour a year ago, we checked into a baseball themed hotel in Houston and put on robes and ate cereal all day.
Justin: Count Chocula!
Cole: Oh and we put, like, other sh*t in it like candy bars.
Justin: We made like a Count Chocula surprise. All of our days off are usually filled with traveling and interviews.
Cole: [But] The really interesting part is that later put in candy bars
Justin, you have a very glamorous look on and off stage. What’s your favorite brand of eye makeup?
Justin: I only use MAC. I only wore MAC for most of my life and then they started sending me stuff for free and then I for sure only wear MAC.
You’ve mentioned that crazy stories like one of your friend on the roof and his crazy hair after a wild night inspired songs like “Her Hair is On Fire”, what’s the craziest thing that has happened during this past tour that might inspire a new song?
Justin: Our friend Jocelyn, inspires everything. One of my favorite new things that I’ve been trying to work into a song is that she’s going to AA for the Hollywood connections. Which is true.
Cole: Job interviewing at AA.
Justin: That’s one of my favorite new things that’s happened.
(In reference to a lyric in their current single) Because we know that you all are truly f*cking gorgeous, was there ever a point in which you actually couldn’t pay your rent?
Group: OH YEAH!
Justin: Years and years and years. I literally used to collect cans off the street and cash them in at the grocery store so that I could eat.
Cole: He used to walk over the Williamsburg bridge to get into Manhattan to get to parties because he couldn’t afford the subway.
Justin: Yeah, it was really tough. I quit… these guys were smart and kept day jobs. In terms that they [the jobs] were in music but they were all real jobs, actual real jobs in music and all. But I was an idiot and moved to NY and said “f*ck everybody I’m going to be a superstar!” so I ended up having to walk bridges and collect cans. And then we kind of switched positions and roles and my jewelry was doing well and Dan was literally homeless.
Dan: Like sleeping in my car, living with junkies, slept wit people so that I could stay at their house.
Justin: Yeah, he would date girls so that he could stay at their house.
Cole: D*ck rent!
Justin, you have a unique since of fashion. Is there a possibility that you will start a fashion line to accompany your Fetty jewelry line?
Justin: No, I’m going to stay in jewelry. I feel like once people become successful in some sort of public way, whether they’re musicians or actors or whatever, they start putting their names on a bunch of bullsh*t because they can. And I’m gonna keep it at jewelry because I’m actually good at designing jewelry and I like it.
If you could chose one artist living or dead to open for you on your next tour who would it be?
Cole: Patsy Cline!!!!
Justin: To open for us though?!
Cole: F*ck yes!!
Justin: All the people I love I’d feel so weird if they opened for us. However, our friend Breedlove is opening for us now and it is a dream come true! And Nico Vega is also opening for us and they’ve been one of our favorite bands for a long time, she’s amazing. But, yeah Breedlove is not only one of our best friends but one of the greatest… I don’t even know what to call it.
Cole: I know! If the Loveboat crashed into a rapist’s basement.
Group: Yes!
What is your favorite song to play live?
Dan: Loud ones!
Justin: I guess I would say, well it always changes but when we did Magnetic Baby in Chicago, it was really f*cking amazing because after all this with Gaga we went back to headline Chicago on our own there we so many kids there, obsessed and waiting for us and when it got to Magnetic Baby they all just screamed the words so loud that I just stop singing and let them sing it. It was really, really amazing.
You’ve mentioned that you write a lot of the songs on piano, though you do not play it live. Have you considered incorporating a piano into your stage show or into future songs?
Justin: I don’t play piano nearly well enough to play it in Public. Some people might disagree with that but I believe that if you’re not the best at something you shouldn’t do it in front of people.
Cole: (To Justin) My opinion is that when you’re behind a piano you can’t really see your legs. That’s the purpose of this band.
Justin: Yeah, the band would crumble if you couldn’t see my legs. But yeah, on our new album that comes out in Summer there is, well piano isn’t like featured, but there is piano on the album and we do use some songs that people aren’t really going to expect it. We have a ballad with a full orchestra and a really like subtle, vulnerable creepy quiet song that like finishes the record. So I think those elements are starting to show up but it’s not going to show up in the sense of me playing piano.
How has the reception to your music varied from country to country? I know that New Zealand went nuts for you guys.
Justin: The Kiwi’s lost their minds! Australia was amazing too. They’ve all been; the audiences have always been over the top and insane in parts. I think what has been different, especially in New Zealand and Australia is that Pop radio stations have started playing our music and you know in America pop radio is only hip hop and pop. And for us to have our actual, real, rock and rock on the radio made our trips o New Zealand and Australia very good.
Cole: And I think in those countries, and Japan too, Rock and Roll isn’t that different from the main stream.
What can we expect from your new album (dropping this June)?
Cole: You can expect to have a lot of sex to it.
Justin: Yeah! The album is made to f*ck to.
You recently toured with (Iggy faves) Far East Movement in Japan with Lady Gaga. How was that?Everyone: Great, yeah!
Dan: It was great they were really nice guys, they had like bear costumes and even a monkey costume and even these space helmets.
Cole: They have really good energy.
Justin: In America there were three people on the Gaga tour and we were first and then in the UK there were three and we were first, so the for all of New Zealand and Australia it was just Gaga and us. So with FEM it was the first time someone was on before us, so it was FEM, SPW and then Gaga so it was actually really awesome to have a band before us to kind of warm us up.
Dan: They did a great job.
Had you heard FEM’s music before the tour?
Justin: Yeah, I had because we’re on the same label (CherryTree). We just did the CherryTree House with Martin, and he’s so f*cking cool and with the CherryTree House it’s just great times. And so we heard about Far East Movement through Martin and CherryTree.
Did you get a chance to try on their amazing light up space helmets?
Group: No.
Justin: No, we didn’t get to try them on, sadly.
You’ve known Lady Gaga for several years now, and you had even performed together back in the day. How do you feel about her enormous rise to fame?
Justin: It’s amazing, you know I think every single day I’m more and more surprised by her talent and her intelligence. She just keeps getting better and better. And I think the mainstream was so boring and Pop music was so boring and the fact that this girl came along that not only writes unbelievable songs but also is so fashion conscious and insane. It was just perfect, everything she does is at the perfect moment for someone like Lady Gaga to exist.
Cole: She’s an icon for behavior, fashion and music.
How do you feel about the tables turning and opening for her now?
Cole: I don’t wish that she was just opening up for us for just 400 people.
Justin: No, it’s a dream come true and she loves our band soo much and she’s so gracious to us and she has the balls to bring a real filthy rock and roll band on tour with her is…
Cole: Loyalty!
Justin: …Cool. That idea of making all of these 15 year old pop fans watch a filthy rock band is an artistic choice unto itself.
Cole: That’s the kind of shit people talk about like “Oh many he’s so cool that someone would just put there foot down and do this” and she has the balls to that.
Justin: Yeah it’s just like if Madonna had had Guns N Roses open for them before they came out. It would have been just amazing.
You’ve been spotted at several events mingling with Gossip Girl’s Taylor Momsen. Have you heard her band, The Pretty Reckless, and is there any chance of a collaboration between SPW and her band?Justin: I have heard her band. Well we’re touring with Gaga for about the next year.
Cole: Well he’s good friends with her so…
Justin: Anything is possible!
Can you tell me something I don’t know?
Cole: I busted my head open in Tokyo that first night! And bled all over myself and had a naughty Japanese nurse mend me up.
Justin: And there is something you didn’t know! A naughty nurse mended his face with latex!
– by Michelle Salgado
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